That Which Time Cannot Break
by Lil' Hedgepig
Summary: After their graduation from high school and the disappearance of Hawkmoth, Marinette and Adrien thought their days of being heroes were finally coming to an end. Though the years had passed with relative peace, they'd soon realize that there was still more work to do. Throw in the burdens of adulthood and life at college, and they soon realize that they were never so busy before.
1. Memories Do Lead Somewhere

**Author's note:** _This is not a traditional fan fiction but rather the product of taking the entire text from a roleplay between HuneyBun and me, editing and tweaking a few things, and posting it here. I'm not sure if that's cheating. Anyway, recently, we made it to the one-year anniversary of the start of our roleplay together so I decided to collect up all of the text from the roleplay and post here for the world to see! We accumulated over 450,000 words worth of text. It is important to keep in mind that is was originally a roleplay to begin so expect inconsistencies in responses and overall plot (for most of it happened to be improvised on the spot). Still, I hope you find it entertaining._

 **THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 1**

Paris, that night, had been so quiet that it bothered Chat Noir so much that he could not get himself to stay still. He had to keep moving, hoping that he'd find any kind of danger. Anything that would give him an excuse to have to go looking for Ladybug.

He soared over buildings without thinking about it. He'd practiced so much on his own that it became second nature. The very act of extending his baton and vaulting through the evening air kept his sanity intact.

Even up above the unsuspecting Parisians, his thoughts never left him. He often found himself distracted. The therapeutic stroll around the city left him tenser afterward.

He tried to avoid going down streets that brought ever more thoughts to his head, strictly seeking out the corners of the city that he had not spent a lot of time around.

Though, he lost his focus while he was in there air. Each motion carried itself out through pure muscle memory. The path he took determined itself purely on his memories.

When he looked up, he realized where he was headed and regained control before it was too late, landing on a balcony. Sure, the landing could've been more graceful but at least no-one had seen him.

Right?

He brushed himself and glanced about, only now noticing the blue-haired girl sitting on a chair with a sketchbook in hand. He blinked as if he had not yet been seen but greeted her with a shy hand raising upwards and waving, a boyish grin on his face, "Oh, hello there."

"Good evening, Chat Noir," the girl replied, not looking up quite yet.

He played off his charm, leaning against his baton that extended out equal to his height, "Yes, it is a good evening, isn't it? Perfect night for patrols, which I am obviously on. I saw your balcony light on, so I thought I'd swing by and meow a hello."

Marinette smiled softly at him. "In that case, hello. It's nice to see you too. How has patrol been treating you?"

"It's proven to be mostly uneventful and... after a period of reflection, somewhat lonely. So, I looked for a friendly face and found yours. I haven't spoken to Ladybug at all today, actually, so I don't know if I should be worried or not."

"Well, I do enjoy the company. Do you want anything to eat while you're here?" she asked, trying to be nice enough, before going on, "And... You know, I think Ladybug is fine. Maybe she's just taking a day off while all is well?"

"I would enjoy a cookie or two if you have them. I am quite hungry, having leaped around a bit this evening," he said, "And yes, that's certainly possible. She's earned a bit of rest. She does so much and it's wonderful."

"Alright, I'll go grab them." she stood from her seat to go inside, going to grab cookies, "Yeah, you two make a great team. You could both use some downtime sometimes."

"I hope that we do. I tell her that all the time but sometimes she takes it as just mindless flirting. How can she not be charmed by this face?"

She set the cookies down for him to eat, resuming her spot in the chair, "Maybe it just comes off as mindless flirting sometimes?" she offered, trying to act as oblivious as possible during the conversation.

He took a cookie and tasted it, "Ah, but all I want her to see is just how much my heart really goes out to her. She's wonderful in so many ways!"

"Hmm..." Marinette was quiet for a minute, before speaking again, "She might just be scared, you know, to get too close to someone who she doesn't know beyond a guy in a mask?"

"I've told her that I wouldn't mind revealing my identity to her. Who knows? There's always that slim chance we know each other? And then, maybe it would be easier for her."

"I don't know, Chat... Revealing your identities to each other could be dangerous. And, if you do know each other, there's a chance it could change how you work together."

He sighed, slouching slightly, "Yes, I'm aware... Still... Oh, I wish it could be different between us. I mean... just the prospect of me meeting her outside the mask is a dream to me. What if I do and I don't realize it? Oh, but that's highly unlikely, right?"

Marinette listened to him... She felt kind of bad, but she didn't want to risk either of them. There was a moment of silence before she just laughed it off, "Yeah, I doubt that you'd accidentally meet her, out of everyone in Paris."

He shifted, putting more weight on his baton, "Yeah, unfortunately. Besides, it's not like we would end up going to the same school or something entirely ironic like that but... there's actually quite a few benefits to knowing each other."

She arched a brow curiously. She'd only really focused on what the risks could be, "What do you mean? What benefits could there be?" she asked, hoping that didn't seem too nosey.

"Well, if there ever came a time either of us would have needed to know something personal about the other, we would have that. Also, we'd have an easier time communicating, perhaps? We could coordinate a bit better. And overall companionship that I'm not sure being Chat Noir is doing for her."

Marinette blinked. She hadn't really thought of any of that. She stood up after he had finished, "You know... Those are some pretty good points, Chat. Maybe... Maybe you should try telling her that?" she asked casually, "Want me to get you anything to drink with the cookies?" she asked, her voice betraying a touch of urgency. She wanted to consult with Tikki, but couldn't really do that with him right in front of her.

He perked up slightly, "You think so? So, then, maybe it'll be enough to ease her into the idea. And then I'd finally know who my bug-a-boo is!" he said, clasping his hands together warmly, "Oh, heh, I'd love some milk, if you don't mind."

She nodded, before turning to step back inside. "Yep, those were my exact thoughts."

She was immediately having a hushed conversation with Tikki over what the two had just spoken about while going to grab a glass of milk.

Chat took a seat on a chair and quietly thought about what Ladybug's reactions to his words might have been if he said anything about it. That, however, was a major risk.

What if it backfired and even more firmly set her on the idea of anonymity?

Mari had taken Chat's words into consideration. If revealing each other went well, then they could work better. She leaned more toward revealing it. She paused once she was back in her room, to hear Tikki's opinion, "Marinette, if you want to reveal your identities to each other, then I'll fully support you!" Tikki spoke quietly. Marinette came back outside, holding the glass out, "One cup of milk for the kitten." she told him with a smirk.

"Thank you so much, Marinette. For the snack and the advice, truly," he said taking it and drinking from the glass.

She smiled, sitting back in the other chair, "It was no problem. It's always nice to have a friend around."

By now, she would be okay with revealing her identity. She just had to figure out how to word it out, "So, do you really, fully think it's a good idea for you and Ladybug to know each other's identities?"

"I think so, yes. It would much more reassuring to know who my bug-a-boo is. It's not that I don't trust her but I'm sometimes afraid that she doesn't trust me so maybe if I were to show her who I really was, she'd know I was really sincere about what we do."

"Huh? Chat, I can promise that she trusts you."

There was a pause. It was now or never. "Uh- Tikki!" She called, and soon enough, the small kwami was floating over to the two of them. Marinette looked terrified of his reaction, freezing up now. "Uh- Er- Surprise?"

Chat stared at her, eyes shaking and trying to make sense of this sudden drop of information, "M-Mari... You're... You're my... ladybug?" his voice was just above a whisper.

Marinette didn't move. She was hoping this didn't mess them up, "I was scared to tell you before... Sorry if you're upset..." Her voice was soft, and she cast her eyes to the ground.

He rose carefully, putting a hand out to her, "No, no. I'm not upset... I... I'm just surprised... I... You were right here in front of me and I was completely clueless. M-Mari... Oh, how could... I'm so blind."

Marinette looked up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "In your defense, I was trying not to reveal myself to you. It was kind of hard at some points." she smiled softly, trying to lighten the mood the best she could.

"I-I know... and trust me, I understand why you would be hesitant. It was a justified belief... Oh, but... Mari... You have no idea how much of an idiot I feel because... Oh... You've yet to see who I am and I'm not sure how you might react."

"You don't have to feel like an idiot at all, kitten," she then stood, taking his hand briefly. "I promise that, whoever you are, we'll be fine. I trust you," she promised, before letting go of his hand.

He swallowed but nodded at her affirmation, "Okay..." he said, preparing to transform, "Here goes nothing." The green energy of his transformation dissipating, leaving a newly appeared Plagg and Adrien in Chat's place. He stood and looked at her, "Hi, Mari."

Marinette had been mentally preparing for whoever was behind the mask. And, well, when the boy who she was in love with appeared, she was speechless. She finally managed to get a word out, speaking quietly. "...Adrien?"

He nodded, "Yes. It's me. I'm Chat Noir..." he said, as to not frighten her with this reveal any more than he already had.

Once everything had managed to semi-process through her mind, she managed to properly speak, "That was... unexpected. I'm glad that it's you, though."

"You're... not scared... or... well... I guess it couldn't be possible that you would be disappointed to see me of all people but... I hope this doesn't change how you think of me. I doubt you would have ever thought I was capable of so many puns."

Marinette shook her head, chuckling, "It doesn't change how I think of you at all, so long as you're still my kitty," she teased, "Though, I still don't know how you can make all those puns."

He smiled, reaching and taking her hand like she had done a moment before, "Always, bug-a-boo. I'll never stop," he said before letting it go, "You can thank Plagg for the jokes. When he's not eating Camembert, he's talking puns or complaining about not having cheese."

Marinette gave his hand a small squeeze as she heard him, before letting go, "Really? Well then. Hello Plagg. Thank you, for all those puns I had to hear," she didn't sound angry but smiled at the cat kwami. Tikki, meanwhile, had mostly been hiding back but she had quickly flown over to see Plagg now.

The cat kwami bounced in the air, "You're welcome," he said, as if he took pride in it, "When you've accompanied Chat Noirs throughout history, you make a list. You know, now that Adrien's mentioned cheese, you got any here?"

Adrien eyed the kwami, "Plagg, we're still guests. Have some manners. And I suppose, hello to you, Tikki?"

Marinette seemed more than thrilled over another kwami, "I don't think we have any Camembert, but I might have cheddar?" She suggested.

Tikki seemed interested in seeing Plagg again, but looked up when she heard Adrien. She flew up to him, "Hi, Adrien! It's nice to properly meet you. Marinette's told me a lot about you and-" Tikki was cut off by Marinette, whose cheeks were twinging with pink.

"I'm going to go get that cheese now... You can come inside if you want. It's getting cold out here," she told them, moving to go back inside.

Adrien followed into Marinette's room and watched the kwamis fly until it was just the two of them. At that point, he turned to Marinette, "Mari... I hope you're not upset with me for having gone so long and not giving you the proper attention you deserve."

Marinette turned to him, coming to a stop, "Adrien, I'm not upset with you at all. I don't think I could be mad at you, anyway."

"Alright. That's good, still, I feel somewhat jerk-like for having been so oblivious," he said, "So, please, let me make it up to you," he said, taking her hand and smiling hopefully.

She watched as he took her hand, before smiling back. "If you really feel the need to, but none of it was your fault. I feel like I should have known it was you too."

He shook his head, "Nah, I would guess it was difficult to even understand anything about me seeing how I was often gone without a trace at a moment's notice. I barely juggled being Chat at some moments," he said, gliding his thumb across the top of her hand.

She gave his hand a small squeeze, "If you ever want, I could cover so you can have a break from Chat on some days. It wouldn't be too much of an issue," she told him, looking up to meet his eyes.

He smiled, looking away, "No, that's fine. Just knowing you are beside me is enough for me. You need a partner who will stay beside you no matter the reason. I want to be that partner."

Her heart easily melted by those words, "I don't think I can begin to tell you how happy that makes me, Adrien. It's nice to know that I'll have you to work with from now on."

"Likewise, you're the only person who met me and didn't see nothing but a famous model. You saw Adrien Agreste, someone everybody else overlooked. I can't thank you enough for that."


	2. There Can't Be Two

**Author's note:** _Welcome to the second chapter! The pacing might seem to be a bit off but, again, it's because it was originally in roleplay format. If you notice any errors that make it difficult to understand something, let me know and I'll clarify them. Also, the idea behind this roleplay was a college AU, so all of the characters are aged up and there's a gap of a few years since Adrien and Marinette last saw each other (prior to the previous chapter)._

 **THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 2**

In the morning Marinette woke up in Adrien's arms.

As her awareness slowly returned, she looked down at where her legs and found that she had made a little mess of herself. Her cheeks flared red as she tried to think of how she let this happen. Her face imploded with the embarrassment of what had caused her crime. She had the most inappropriate dream about him and she would probably be banned from ever stepping a foot inside a church again.

Oh, what is Adrien going to think?

She groaned in disappointment, burying her face in the pillow she had been laying on.

He slowly shifted, his eyes opening groggily. He yawned before smiling to see Marinette still here- it hadn't been a dream. Though, his eyes narrowed as he set a hand on her shoulder, "Marinette?" he wondered, still having no idea what had happened, though. It wasn't so obvious so he didn't notice yet.

She bolted up, looking down at him, "Uh, y-yes?"

Dammit, after all those acting classes she still couldn't play this one off.

"You alright? Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm!" she said quickly, "Slept great!"

Her smile seemed forced and she couldn't help but feel guilty about this.

"Mari, what's wro-" And that's when he noticed it, well, he felt it. Looking down, he stared for a moment, trying to think what happened. And then it clicked. "M-Marinette... You..."

Her face got so red she could have cried. She buried her face in her hands and closed her eyes as tight as she could, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! T-The dreams! I-I..."

"Marinette," he whispered, lost for a moment, unsure of what to do, "I... I, uh. You don't have to apologize. I think I understand."

He reached out to take her hands into his, smiling at her scarlet face, "I love you. And if it was about me, I'm flattered."

She looked away in complete embarrassment, then whispered quietly, "Are you sure...?"

He carefully brought a hand and touched her cheek, hoping to guide her eyes back to his, "Of course, Marinette. It shows that you love me, too. I mean... what we did last night..."

The color drained from her face as her thoughts raced to recover the happenings of last night before blush filled her face. Last night was more than a dream. Their heartfelt reunion had lead to intimacy which led to kissing which led to...

She shuddered. The very thought of her teenage fantasies being any more than fantasies seemed scandalous to her. As each event returned to her memory, she eased up a bit. She had trusted Adrien with a lot and he was nothing less than gentlemanly.

"I wasn't sure if we were ready to go that far... but I didn't stop to think what would happen if I took advantage of our pleasure together and then just stop," he continued

"I know... But it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have flirted in the first place," she said before giggling and rubbing her arm softly. It hadn't gone anywhere past the typical expectations of a makeout.

He shook his head, smiling affectionately, "No, but I enjoyed every moment so much... I loved it," He closed his eyes and kissed her lips, pulling away after a moment. "You should start getting ready if you have morning classes," he told her, "I don't want you to be late."

She groaned in disbelief, "Adrien, don't make me go."

He smirked, "Awh, bug-a-boo, you need school," he said, "Besides, the sooner you go, the sooner I can reward you when you come home," he purred softly, kissing her again.

"You owe me millions of kisses, Mister!" she giggled.

"Well, that's a tall order to fill," he chuckled, "Though, I accept that challenge. I'll be sure to help you relax when you come back."

While petting her silly cat's hair, she kissed his forehead and whispered softly, "Thank you kitten."

He smiled lovingly, "Anything for you, milady."

"I'm going to take a shower. I still have about an hour before I need to leave," she smiled over at him.

"Alright," he smirked, standing up himself and stretching. He moved over to her and place one final kiss on her lips, "I'll be out for a few hours. I have to head back to my father's house and talk to him."

"See you soon kitty!" she hugged her arms, "And good luck!"

"Alright, you too. Have a good day."

She smiled brightly at him then walked into her bathroom, though she didn't realize that he decided to wait to leave with her until after her shower. She dressed, fixed her hair, then walked out to find her cat now in the kitchen.

"Adrien?"

He waved at her as he came around the counter, presenting her with a cup of coffee, "Want some?" he asked. He was loosely dressed, he had his tee-shirt back on but had neglected to put his pants back on.

"Of course," she laughed softly and gently took the cup from his hand, taking a sip, "So, what exactly do you need to talk to your father about?"

"There's a lot that I need to talk to him about. I'm just not sure I'll be able to. Things between us aren't at their best."

"Well. I wish you the best of luck," she held Adrien's hand. She was worried about him. No child should have to go through what he has gone through.

"I'll be fine, I'm sure. Just a lot to worry about," he said, "It's better now that I have someone who will listen and just assume I'm inexperienced."

"I'm glad to be here for you," she hugged him softly. Marinette was determined to keep this boy as happy as he could get. He deserved happiness.

He rubbed her hand softly, "It means a lot to me. Have a good day, milady."

"Have a good day, Adrien," she then pulled him close and kissed his lips gently.

Throughout the day, Marinette found herself stressing over a huge designing project. She had to fill a whole book with designs in just a few days and she wasn't the best artist, so she asked Nathaniel to come over and give her tips on sketching. They spent the majority of the day working side by side on Marinette's bed, papers strewn about along with Nathaniel's own sketchbook open to a few of his latest ideas. Marinette, for once, found herself totally focused on the project until there came a knock on the door.

Marinette lifted her head and felt a shot of anxiety flood her mind as she glanced quickly at Nathaniel, who collected his papers absentmindedly.

"Oh, were you expecting another visitor?" he wondered.

Marinette' face paled, she had totally forgotten about Adrien! Gosh, what a girlfriend she was...

Would Adrien think she was cheating or something?

No, Adrien trusted her, but it would possibly make him jealous which still wasn't a good idea.

She took a deep breath and looked back at Nathaniel. "Oh, uh, yeah... I kind of forgot I'm sorry," she explained, rubbing her arm.

"Oh, well... I'll let you go talk to them and then we'll continue. I'll help you sketch out the basic form of the body too, so you can add a bit of character to your designs too," he looked at his notes a bit abashedly.

Marinette nodded, then stood up and opened the door, "H-Hey," she smiled nervously at Adrien.

Oh God, she wished she could just ask Nathaniel to leave so she could be alone with this dorky cat.

"Your kitty has come home," he smirked before peeking inside but not seeing Nathaniel, "Awh, I can't wait to just relax with you in arms."

"About that kitty..." she said, guilt leaking from her voice, "I needed help with making quick sketches, so I asked Nathaniel to come over."

Marinette was almost as red as Nathaniel's tomato hair, she was so embarrassed. How could Marinette blank out like this?

Adrien studied her for a moment before nodded understandingly. He turned his body slightly away, his eyes looking back over the balcony for a moment before moving to her face, "Oh, don't worry about it then. I'll... go off for a few more hours, I guess and then I'll be back around."

He bit his tongue softly before the weight of everything came back on his shoulders. Sure, maybe this was a one-time thing and she had warned him about it before but, especially after what took place the night before, he just wanted to find solace in her presence. Now, he'd be left alone with his thoughts- the words of his father echoing in his head- and he was admittedly terrified, but he didn't let it show.

Marinette had her own life and her own problems and her own relationships with other people. It wasn't his place to make her throw off all other obligations for the sake of him. He tried to offer a smile, "You get back to work, I'll... I'll be fine."

"Okay. I'll be done in a few hours. Meet me here at 7 okay? I have a surprise for you," she sent him a warm smile, hoping that her secret surprise she had planned would keep his thoughts happy until she could show what she had planned. Marinette gave his cheek a quick peck, then studied his face, trying to read his thoughts.

"Seven," he repeated, "I'll be back then," he smirked softly, "I'll be looking forward to your surprise. Go make something wonderful like I know you always do," he said before trying to peek again into her apartment before he turned, "I'll see you later, milady."

"See you then," she giggled softly. Once Adrien left, Marinette headed back to where she was a few minutes ago and sat down near Nathaniel, "So, what were you saying again?"

He picked up his sketching pencil and started to draw out the rough form of a body, "See, if you kind of sketch out a person like this," he said, moving his pencil slowly, "And you draw your designs as the clothes, it really personifies the style of your clothes. People like seeing another person with nice clothes because it gives them an idea of how they might look in them. That's why models get so popular- they showcase really nice clothes- no-one keeps up with models if they wear ugly clothing," he went on before setting his pencil down, "There. So, uh... Everything going alright, Marinette?"

"Huh? Me? Oh, uh, yeah. I just... I kind of hooked up with someone?" she said with nervousness in her voice, "And well, I forgot that he was planning to come back to my dorm."

Nathaniel immediately shied away, "Oh... I didn't know... That's... That's good to hear," he said, turning a shade of red that challenged even his own tomato hair. He started to shake slightly.

Marinette's eyes went wide, "Are you okay?" she asked quietly, completely forgetting about his old crush.

He tried to look up at her but found he couldn't, "No, I'm fine... I just... I, uh..." he swallowed, "Maybe I should go..."

"W-Why? Are you not feeling well?" she breathed.

"N-No, I'm fine..." he repeated, his eyes anywhere other than on her, "I didn't mean... to interrupt you and... whoever... your new boyfriend is."

"No, of course not! He's coming back at seven, so you can stay if you would like," she nodded quickly.

He now looked at her, "Oh, alright. We should be finished by then..." he said softly, "Is he going to be... moving in with you?"

Her face got red as her thoughts of last night flew through her head, "No!" she said, surprised by her tone, "I mean no, he has his own place I'm pretty sure."

"Oh, I was just curious. My room-mate is moving out and I was looking for someone to move in with," he said, "I was going to ask you, actually."

God, why didn't she ask Adrien to move in? She couldn't have Nathaniel here. It would be harder to transform, not to mention Adrien spending the night, "I, uh, I could think about it, but I might have my, um, boyfriend here sometimes."

"I'll be sure to not be a bother when he's here. I could even leave when he comes," he said, "If it's too much trouble. I can try to find someone else."

"It's not too much trouble but I would like to have a little time to think about," she said simply. She felt bad for Nathaniel, but she wished she would have just begged Adrien to live with her before this.

"Alright. Thank you, either way." he said before clearing his throat, "Let's get back this, okay?"

Marinette smiled in relief, "Okay."

The rest the evening would continue with a rather quiet Nathaniel, only speaking to address a little trick or two he used in sketching. He would prepare a blank form and let Marinette draw her designs over it until she felt comfortable with doing both steps herself. This continued until about half an hour before seven in the evening.

At about seven Marinette helped Nathaniel out the door. She was relieved it was over. She could tell Nathaniel had been uncomfortable half the time, which made her feel guilty. After he left, Marinette clasped on her bed, it felt nice.

Nathaniel murmured only a soft goodbye to her before closing the door behind him and walking home.


	3. Unwanted Reconnections

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 3**

Seven o'clock passed and there was no sign of Adrien.

Marinette sighed. _Where was Adrien? Had he been mad at here for Nathaniel being around?_ Oh, she hoped not, especially with Nathaniel possibly moving in.

At about seven-thirty, there was a knock at her door.

When she heard the knock, Marinette jumped out of bed and opened the door quickly. "Hello, Adrien!" she giggled.

He stood before her, a little flustered but with a managed smile on his face. His eyes were a little red. "Hey, sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm here now," he said. "You get everything you needed finished?"

"Mmhmm! I'm all yours now!" she said. The words made her happy. Marinette was his. It took a while, but they were finally together.

He smiled and even laughed a little bit, taking her hands into his and staring into his eyes, "It was so painful to be away from you," he murmured. "How did things go with you and Nathaniel?"

"It was okay. He didn't talk too much," she shrugged.

"Alright, Nathaniel is an okay guy, even though he... turned into the Evilistrator and all that back in high school," he said. "It wasn't his fault, though."

"Yeah, ever since Chloe left the city there hasn't been much crime," she laughed softly.

"Yeah, that and our having sent Hawkmoth to lick his wounds. I don't know what happened to him though. I don't know if he'll be back."

"Me neither," she crossed her arms in thought. "I miss fighting crime like we used to. I haven't been Ladybug in forever."

He smirked, "We could always go on a patrol for old times' sake?"

"Hmm, I'd like that," she stated, opening her small purse. A small red creature with black spots flew out, giggling as she saw Adrien. "Meet Tikki," Marinette smiled with a hint of proudness in her tone.

"Bonjour, little kwami. You helped Marinette become the person I would fall in love with, hmm?" he said. "Thank you so much for all you've done."

"Your welcome! Thank you for keeping her safe!" Tikki giggled. "And taking up all her wall space." the kwami murmured. Marinette's face went red. "Tikki!" she called out as her kwami laughed.

"Well, she handles herself pretty well... And knows what kind of guys she likes," he laughed, looking at her lovingly before giving a look of confusion. "I'd introduce Plagg but-"

Adrien was cut off by a small voice, "No need, I've been asleep over here." Plagg rose up from the corner, underneath a pillow. He fluttered over, his little black ears dancing about, "Marinette. I like your pillows."

Marinette laughed, "Thanks! I made them myself. I bet I still have some of the fabric."

A new idea crossed her mind: items for kwamis. It would be adorable!

"Tikki," Plagg said, "I guess you were right after all. They would figure it out for themselves."

"Exactly! I'm always right," she confirmed.

"Pff, I guess we can't award points to whoever found it out first," Plagg grumbled.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Plagg. In the end, we both won," Adrien said, putting his arm around Marinette.

"That's very true," she said, smiling up at him.

"Awh, Plagg! Look at them!" Tikki giggled, nudging Plagg.

"Their love is gag-worthy. They need more cheese in their life," Plagg grumbled.

Adrien looked at Mari, "So, what do you say? A patrol?"

"Of course, kitty," Marinette giggled. "Tikki, spots on!" she shouted. A red glow covered her body as Marinette twirled. Soon she became her legendary self, Ladybug.

Adrien couldn't help but stand in awe of her, having not seen her in so long. He smirked. "You're looking better than ever."

"Why thank you," she smirked as well.

Adrien's eyes went to the ravel-colored kwami, "Plagg?"

The kwami groaned. "Fine."

Adrien smirked, "Claws out!" A green light enveloped him and then stood Chat Noir, his cat ears dancing eagerly as he practically pounced around the room. "Awh, this is going to be so much fun, Bug-a-boo! It's going to be cat-tastic!"

She laughed. "With your sense of humor, I'm sure it will be," she said, poking his nose.

"Oh, come on, out all the things you could have missed from being Ladybug, wasn't it going to meet with Chat Noir and just spoiling yourself with puns?" He smirked, "It'll be so nice to feel the wind in my face as we zip around the city."

"Well, lucky for you, it did make it to the list," she laughed softly. "But seeing my best friend was the main reason I missed it so much," she stated, a blush faintly touching her cheeks.

Adrien, on the other hand, couldn't help but dance and spin around the room and around her, orbiting like an excited planet that couldn't slow down. He slowed down in front of her, so he could look her in the eyes. "I've missed you so much, too. You have no idea," he said softly before placing a kiss on her nose. "Let's head out! The weather is perfect this evening."

"Then we better get going," she giggled, planting a kiss on his cheek. Ladybug soon ran out to the balcony, springing off into the city using her yo-yo.

Chat stood loosely for a moment, dreamily watching his Ladybug leap into action. He almost started drooling over her before he snapped back to attention and followed her, vaulting himself into the air after her. "Where shall we go first? The Eiffel Tower? The Musee du Louvre? Maybe even the Luxemburg Gardens? The gardens in the evening has lights that dance off the pools in such a spe-cat-ular way!"

"Anywhere!" she laughed. "You lead, and I'll follow, kitty cat!" Gosh, he was handsome in this lighting. He had to be a descendant of Thor, no doubt.

He nodded, balling his fists before pouncing into the air off the edge- taking full advantage of his daring nature. He bypassed the length of a building completely, heading the direction of the Louvre. He wanted to see the crystal pyramid lit up by the moonlight.

Following him, she looked ahead at the Louvre. It was beautiful. Paris was beautiful. Marinette had been in her dorm studying for such a long time she had almost forgotten the feeling it all have her.

When she landed beside her, Chat would put her arm around her. "We live in the best city in all of France," he decided. "It's stunning." He looked at Ladybug and smirked before saying, "Though, not as stunning as you, Bug-a-boo."

"Oh, hush," she giggled and rolled her eyes.

He looked ahead and closed his eyes for a moment, just taking in the serenity, the happiness, and the cool breeze of the Parisian night. It was bliss. It felt like it would go on for an eternity. Though, that was before the entire array of lights went off, plunging the two of them in almost a complete absence of light. Chat opened his eyes, his cat-like eyes quickly adjusting, "Ladybug. Did you turn the lights off?"

"I don't think so... Do they turn them off this early?" she bit her lip, looking up at Chat.

"They shouldn't," he said, a frown coming to his lips. His eyes glanced around skeptically before sighing. "They went off so suddenly. That's not normal." Chat allowed himself to listen to everything around him. It had become eerily quiet. Only a moment later, however, there would be a loud sound that would rumble the ground- not unlike a dozen fireworks setting off simultaneously.

Ladybug froze, trying to process the loud sound. Was Hawkmoth causing destruction in the city again? Or maybe a robbery of some sort... Either way, it didn't matter. There was a problem and it needed to be solved. "We need to check out the Louvre," she said firmly, yet calmly. Ladybug swung her yo-yo then tossed it at a tall tree, pulling herself onto the glass of the Louvre.

Chat vaulted to the very top of the pyramid, pivoting his hands at the peak and looking down through the glass. "It sounded like it came from inside the museum. Underground, perhaps," he surmised. "I don't see anyone down there from here."

"What's your plan, kitty?" she looked over at him.

"Well, bug-a-boo, my plan is simple. None of the entrances to the museum are open in the evening- which means whoever is in there had to create his own entrance and which means he'll probably try to use it to escape."

"Got it. Find his entrance, find the criminal," she smirked. "I'll check around the back. You check front. Call me if you find anything," she winked at him and swung off to the back of the Louvre.

"Of course, milady!" Chat replied, waving her off before taking off.

For Ladybug, there wasn't much in the way of entrances that stood out, but after some investigation some ways off, actually in the middle of the street, there was a hole that looked like it had been blown apart, providing an entrance into one of the service hallways that was attached to the main building. The lights below flickered with a noise of a few sparks popping.

"Perfect," she said to herself, pulling out her yo-yo to contact Chat.

A moment later, his face appeared on her little video screen, "Oh? Miss me already?" He teased before smiling at her, "What's up, milady?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I think I found the entrance we are looking for," she explained, looking over at the hole cautiously then back at the screen.

"Oh, alright. I think he's still inside, but the catnip isn't smelling right for this kitty," he murmured. "I found something and I'm not sure what it is. Chances are, though, it was meant to be found."

"I'm on my way to you now," he said, "Chat out." The little screen went to black and the sounds of Chat in the distance could be heard approaching. Although, there came a cackle that echoed through the corridors of the Louvre.

Ladybug put away her yo-yo, walking toward the hole slowly, making sure she didn't get shocked by the sparks.

Chat soon dropped beside her, spinning his staff in the air before clanking the end down and smirking. "So, what are we looking at here?" he wondered. "Oh. A very messy entry point, it seems."

"Exactly," she said, still examining the hole. "How deep do you think it is?"

"I don't know. The lighting isn't really helping," he mused softly. "We could try to drop something into it to find out? Do we have anything?"

"Um I don't think- wait! I got something!" She smiled as she pulled her red ribbons out of her hair, looking up at Chat, "Would one of these work? I have plenty, so don't worry about me running out."

He smirked. "I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down," he teased before looking up and thinking, tapping his chin lightly with his staff. He looked at it. "Oh, here, attach this to the end of your ribbon. Then we'll know when it reached the bottom."

Ladybug nodded, tying one of her ribbons onto the end of his staff. "Don't worry kitty, I'm putting my hair back up," she laughed, tying her hair up in a single ponytail.

"I think it works for you, actually. Any hairstyle and you would still be just as beautiful."

"I'll take note on that," she laughed softly, a faint touch of pink on her cheeks.

"So, we're good to go to lower this thing in? I don't know how whoever is down here expected to get out from here."

"Maybe he can jump really high somehow? Or he could have flying powers of some sort." She tilted her head then looked down at the hole, "And yes, lower it down."

"I don't know, both of those sounds like he'd be pretty terrifying to fight." Chat began to lower down his staff, sending it clunking and ringing against the side of the hole until he felt the ribbons loosen up. He tilted his head, "I think it's not too far of a drop. Might be dangerous to just jump down but I'm sure if we were lowered carefully enough, there wouldn't be a problem. You want to go down?"

"Mmhmm!" She laughed softly, placing her hand on her hip. "Lower me down kitty cat," she smirked.

"I promise not to drop you, don't worry." He went over and took her, helping her into the opening. He kept a firm grip on her hands as he lowered her, but a sudden rumble caused him to falter and lose her hand. He panicked slightly, "What was that! Ladybug? Are you alright?"

"Yes! I'm okay!" she nodded quickly, "Do you see where the sound came from?"

"It sounded like it came from further inside the museum. If this isn't a heist, I don't know what is," he said. He reasserted his grip on her other hand and held her steady. "Alright," he said, laying on his stomach and holding her as low as he could, "You should be able to drop and land without any problems. Okay? I'll follow right after."

"O-Okay Chat," she looked up at him. Her eyes filled with slight surprise. Had Chat always been this kind to her? Yes, she knew he always wanted to keep her safe, but this time something was different. Ladybug shook her head, taking a deep breath before she started her descent again.

"Alright. On three..." Chat took a breath, "One, two... Thr-" Another louder rumble erupted. It made a considerable amount of noise and Chat lost his grip on her hands.

 _Oh, God, he had dropped her._

His heart started skipping beats. "L-Ladybug!" he said, leaning to try and catch her in mid-air before she fell too far. He stretched himself to his limit.

She grabbed his hand firmly, surprised at the explosion, but not worried about her landing. As she grabbed his hand, she accidentally pulled Chat down. They both fell to the bottom. Ladybug groaned and sat up, her eyes went wide. "Are you okay, Chat?" she said.

Chat braced himself up on his elbow, his face low to the ground. "Ladybug, I-I'm sorry," he choked before cringing slightly from the aftermath of the fall. He sighed, wiping his eyes, "I dropped you."

"Huh? Chat, I'm fine, really. I am," she stood up shakily, "But, really. Are you okay?" she asked a second time. Ladybug seemed slightly shy in a way, possibly embarrassed.

He sat up, "Just a slight bump on the head. I'll be fine. I was more worried about you." He stood as well, moving beside her. He reached an arm over and brushed her shoulder gently. "Not a scratch on you," he smiled.

"I guess my luck protects me," she giggled.

He cringed again slightly, "I need to get my cat-like reflexes back to par. Ready to head inside?"

"Yeah," she said softly, giving his hand a small squeeze to comfort him.

He smiled at her and went into the wide hallways of the museum.


	4. Too Good of a Poker Face

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 4**

A few of the lights had sparked out and there was an eerie silence for the moment, but strange echoes bounced against the empty hallways.

"What if we are working with paranormal activity here?" Ladybug whispered.

"The Louvre? Haunted? It doesn't explain the rumbling." He sighed, "Whatever it is, just stay close. I don't want anything to happen that we aren't ready for."

Chat strained his hearing to pick up the faint whispers down the length of the tunnel. For a moment, Ladybug followed his eyes but noticed the tense expression on his features. Once she had his gaze, she winked at him, wearing a smile.

"Don't worry about me. I've got his. We've got this," she giggled.

"You're right. We're unstoppable, the two of us. Let's see if we can't find who is causing all this mayhem. And then we'll take them down."

"Exactly! Now follow me," she whispered before heading down the hallway.

He stayed beside her. The voice grew in volume, sounding more calculated. "More to the left. Thirteen. Four. Good. Open it."

Ladybug stopped at the corner, bracing her shoulder against the wall, shivering slightly. She looked back and whispered to her partner, "Do you think they're trying to open a vault?"

"Yeah. Should we get the jump on them? A quick dash at them along with a lucky charm could do the job."

"Sounds good to me," she winked at him, spinning her yo-yo.

"We'll show them just how _furr-ocious_ we can be!" he smirked, readying his staff. "On the count of three?"

She nodded, "One... Two..."

"Three!" he called before launching around the corner and swinging at the first man he saw. The men had clown-inspired masks and were armed with handguns. As Chat took down one man, another raised his gun to fire upon the feline hero.

Ladybug quickly sprang into action, flinging her yo-yo at the gun and knocking it out of the man's hand.

Chat spun around, seeing that she had covered him. He smiled before seeing another go up to try and kick her in the back. Chat quickly pointed his baton's end at the criminal and extended it rapidly, nailing the criminal in the gut and sending him flying. Chat now waited, looking at all three men on the floor.

"That's all of them?"

"Huh. Guess so," she shrugged, "This isn't an Akuma I suppose?"

"No," a voice replied, "I haven't decided if they're worth my time." The voice was baritone and commanded respect, "Though, this shows me how time has not stopped the two of you."

"Hawkmoth…" Ladybug whispered, "What are you planning, you butterfly freak?" She clenched her fists, a frown adorning her face.

"You should expect revenge to be on my agenda, but I am hardly that cliché," he scoffed, "No, I have an agenda and I refuse to be made a fool of like you did to me so many years ago."

"We promised to protect the city of Paris before. And we will stand with that, so throw your worst and we will give you our best," she said firmly.

"Such a valiant little heart! So youthful and embracive! No matter. Prepare yourself, Ladybug and Chat Noir, for Paris is once again a battlefield." Hawkmoth announced.

"Why don't we settle this here?" Chat called back, his teeth showing, "We've stood up to once before. Nothing will stop us from doing it again."

Hawkmoth laughed, "Silly heroes. I'm going to make you work for it. Besides, I know things that should have you trembling."

"Sure, you do," ladybug rolled her eyes. "Face it, Hawkmoth. You've lost too many times. We will keep our promises and your threats won't scare us."

"I'll be sure to tell that to Chat Noir's father the next time I have a discussion with him," he said. "Goodbye, Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Ladybug and Chat's vision became obscured by a sudden puff of smoke. Silence followed. Chat stood, his arms dropping now by his side. Glancing over at Ladybug, he looked down at the three unconscious robbers at their feet.

"He outright abandoned them," he said.

"You can't trust a shady soul like Hawkmoth," he paused for a moment before reaching a hand to rest on his shoulder. "Chat, are you okay?"

"Does he know who I am? He has to know. Right? He has to know who my father is. No... It's a bluff..." He looked up at her, his gaze shaken with worry.

"I don't know, Chat, but I swear I will not let him hurt you or your family," she stated with a hint of anger in her voice. Ladybug sucked in a breath and pulled Chat close, hugging him gently.

He wrapped his arms around her, not crying, but quietly laying his head on her shoulder and shaking ever so softly.

"Ladybug," he murmured, "Thank you for being here with me." He stayed there in her arms for several minutes before he pulled his head back. "I want to go home now. It has to be in the early hours of the morning."

"You're right, but would it be safe? If you're talking about your father's house, maybe it wouldn't be the best idea. Do you have your own place, maybe? You could always stay at my dorm," she said.

"I don't have my own place. My father never lets me get one. You'd let me stay with you another night?" He looked hopefully at her.

"Of course! It would make me feel better, honestly," she said, rubbing her arm.

He hugged her a little tighter. "I can't honestly tell you how much I treasure you, Ladybug," he murmured, "Let's go. I think we're done here. I need to think about what to do tomorrow."

"Okay, Chat," she smiled, letting him go slowly. After the two left the scene, Ladybug landed on her balcony and de-transformed. Tikki soon flew under her bed, looking for her small bedroom Marinette had created for her.

Chat also landed beside her, de-transforming.

Plagg hurried after her. "Tikki! Did Marinette make you miniature pillows? I want one. They're so soft!" he said.

Adrien watched the two kwamis, smiling softly. "Look at the two of them," he said before sighing, "Marinette, I don't know what to do. Of all the nights Hawkmoth had to return..."

"Adrien, it's okay, I swear. This will all work out. You don't need to worry," she sent him a small smile.

"I hope you're right. Hawkmoth could have meant so many things by what he said," He yawned, his eyes dropping, "May I sleep with you again? Everything feels right when I'm by you."

"Of course," she smiled, taking off her small jacket and her shoes, putting them in their places. "By the way. I should probably tell you something."

He only watched her now, very still, "What... What is it, Marinette?"

"Nathaniel asked if he could stay here because his roommate left and I'm not sure what to do because he really is a nice guy and I'm the only friend he really has, but it would just be kind of odd."

He sat down beside her, his hands resting with the palms up in his lap. His face was tilted downward as his mouth twitched in thought, "It would be hard, especially with..." he sighed, "But you don't want to hurt his feelings, either."

"And there could be a high risk of him finding out who we are," she sighed.

"As much as it sounds like something a jerk would do, you can't just take him in because he wants it. We have responsibilities that take priority over giving someone else a place to stay. And..." Adrien bit his tongue softly. "If he still has a crush on you..."

Marinette's face flushed. "Yeah, that's probably true," she nodded carefully. "He actually asked if you lived here."

He looked at her, "What did you say?" There was a mixture of demand and hesitance and hope in his voice. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a loose finger.

"He asked if I was okay while we were working, and I said yeah. Then I explained to him that I got together with someone, so he asked if that person was going to live here which brought up the topic of him needing a roommate," she smiled, a little nervously.

"You didn't tell him it was me?" he asked, a hurt tone escaped when he never meant for it. He looked away suddenly.

"I would have but well, uh, you know how I had a crush on you for a while right?" She blushed, rubbing her arm, "I talked about you a lot and he never really seemed to fond of you so I decided not to bring up your name to him.

Adrien's lips twitched downward, his eyes downcast before gave a sigh and shook his head. "I understand," he said. "Just... Oh, this had to come up now, didn't it?"

He pressed his hands into fists and felt another hot breath of air ripple through him. His eyelids drooped as he tried to wrap his mind around the problem. "I don't want to try and come up with an answer for that right now. You do what you feel is right, Marinette."

"Adrien..." she said, guilt in her voice. "I promise this will all work out for the best."

Her guilt led him to his own guilt. "Marinette... This isn't... It's just... Nothing is as... as stable for me anymore. High school was a beautiful time because I thought I had gotten over so many things and my father was actually trying to be a father, regardless of the dozens of days I never saw him. I talked with him in the evening at least."

He couldn't talk about it anymore, so he dropped his face into his hands.

Her eyes went wide, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know things will turn around for you. Just because your Miraculous represents bad luck and mine represents good luck, doesn't mean you will never be lucky."

Marinette wished she could have the power to fix all his problems. He didn't deserve to feel so sad. Adrien deserved to smile and be loved, genuinely loved, by his friends and family and really everyone around him.

Though, that was the irony of being a renowned supermodel. Everyone knew him and loved him, but no-one loved him. He was just a pretty face. He could always imagine that girls would dream about him and how, if he was ever theirs, they would flaunt him around like some sort of trophy, not for a moment thinking about how he might have felt.

He felt himself lean into her hand, laying gently against her, his eyes forward- "You have to know what bad luck is to use it. You've only ever known good luck, so it makes sense that you wield the power behind good luck."

Her gaze led down to him. "I think my miraculous only gives me luck for certain things." Her eyes drifted down to the floor. "I may be Ladybug, but luck is in everyone. It's just easier to find for some people." She reached down and laced her fingers with Adrien's, holding his hand. "Besides, if you really do think I'm lucky, then I'll be by your side as your good luck charm through all of this."

He glanced at her, a sad smile on his face, "I suppose you are right." He pressed the side of his head gently against hers. "After all, I was lucky enough to find you, Mari," he whispered. "I love you, princess."

"I love you too, kitty," she kissed his temple softly. "Hey... Would it be okay if I told you how I fell in love with you?"

He nodded, pressing himself to her softly, "I'd love to hear it. That way I'll know what I did right, so I can do it again."

"Do you remember when you explained to me that Chloe put the gum on my chair? You showed me how kind you were. I remember hearing lightning. It made it all clear that I wanted to know you more. I probably would've fallen for the Chat side of you if that didn't happen."

"I had to explain it to you because, deep down, I was terrified. You seemed so disgusted with me when Chloe spun the situation and pinned the blame on me. It was my first day and Chloe was already at work making sure that she would be the only person who liked me. I did it because I respected you, Mari. Later, though, when Ladybug entered the picture, I was too caught up in her to notice how you felt."

"It's okay," she laughed softly. "I was too awkward to even form a sentence around you anyways."

"Even though I found it strange then, I think back to it and realize how adorable it was," he said. "You're adorable."

"I think of it more as the awkward teenage stage," she laughed.

"Awkward, maybe, but still cute in the end," he said. "Trust me, there were some crazy things that I did in high school that weren't the brightest."

"But still! I literally memorized what you did every day. It was totally creepy. You can't argue with that!" she smirked, crossing her arms.

"I used to constantly rehearse every cat pun I was going to use on Ladybug. All those times you saw me doodle during chemistry? Yeah, that was me coming up with sentences where I could insert cat puns. And then I would dream up flirts. And then I would continuously try to draw Ladybug's face but fail horribly because I couldn't draw."

"Really?" she giggled. "I guess we both had huge crushes!"

He carefully wrapped an arm around her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "That crush isn't anywhere close to going away," he murmured.

Her face flushed red. "My crush won't either," she whispered in a shy tone. Marinette hugged him tightly, cuddling into his warm chest, hoping to hear his heartbeat that pleased her so much.

He wrapped his other arm around her and gently ran his hand through her bluenette hair. He practically curled up around her (not unlike a cat) and laid so that he was looking at her. He could have stayed there forever.

"H-Have you always looked at me like this, kitty cat?" Marinette blushed hard.

"How could I not? You're perfect in so many ways- and your kindness and compassion and intelligence? All perfect," he said.

"Adrien..." If her face could get any redder, then it did.

He smiled triumphantly at her blushing and after a moment, he captured her lips with his own, holding the kiss for a moment before pulling away and snuggling against her, giving noises of contentment.

Marinette took a deep breath, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Adrien? How exactly am I supposed to tell Alya about this? It happened so fast that she would probably never believe it."

"How about I tell her for you? Would she believe it then?"

"Make sure to add that no one paid you to tell her!" she laughed.


	5. This Just In

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 5**

Never in her life had Marinette imagined she'd be the lucky girl to get to drift off in the arms of the one and only Adrien Agreste. It was nothing short of heavenly, and despite the fact seemed so out of her world before, it seemed so natural of a place to find herself now.

"Gosh! These past few days have been a ride. Don't you think? First, I find out that my partner, the one and only Chat Noir, has been my high school crush all along. Then, I end up kissing him again like that one time and-" her face got red. "Have I told you about that before?" she asked nervously.

Adrien looked down at her for a moment, his eyes furrowing as he tried to recollect the event she was referencing but he came up short. "Again?" he wondered.

"Valentine's, um, I had to save you with love, so I kissed you," she looked up at him, rubbing her bare arm.

"We kissed? Ladybug and Chat kissed each other?"

"Yeah," she flushed. "And now that I know who you are, it's kind of funny that I responded to some letter of yours. I forgot to sign my name, but if I did it would've been awkward since it was for Ladybug."

"Wait! That was your letter? I had no idea! I got it and... and It was so lovely! I kept it in my bedside table drawer and would look at it almost every night. It's still there!"

"Woah! Seriously?" her eyes widened.

"Yeah! I wanted to write back to it so badly, but I never was able to find who's it was. Until now, princess," He murmured, kissing her forehead. "Thank you so much for that. It was the best letter I got that day. And trust me, I had hundreds of them."

"Well duh," she laughed, "You're Adrien Agreste!"

"Yeah- you don't think I know that?" he laughed in return. "No, all the letters I had gotten up until your letter were so generic. I had dozens that confessed some girl's undying love for me. Other were basically marriage proposals. There was even one or two that asked if I'd mail them back strands of my hair."

"I mean your hair is pretty nice," she smirked, then laughed.

"I know, but if I even dared to do that, I wouldn't have any hair left for my own poor head. Then no-one would love me anymore," he chuckled. He laid back on the pillow and turned so he was facing her, looking at her.

"I would," she giggled and pressed her nose against his, "I will love you no matter what you look like."

"Oh, please, you can't honestly tell me you didn't jump on the bandwagon too because of how good I looked."

"What?" she gasped. "Who do you take me for? A fan who would fill their room with pictures of you, memorize what you do every day and put it on a calendar, and obsess over everything you touch? Psh, totally wasn't me," she laughed.

"I'm sure you weren't you were all those things and Ladybug, which is so surprising because Chat was afraid there for a while that Ladybug's resolve was unbreakable. It would have been _paw-ful_ for him to have his heart broken."

"Awh, poor kitten," she hugged him tight, snuggling into his chest. "I'm glad you're okay with it being me."

"Oh, please, milady, if I was just okay with it, we wouldn't have done what we just did," he said softly, running his fingers through her blue hair. "I'm pretty sure we've been up all night," he said, tilting his head to catch a glimpse out the window. He could see the black-blue sky slowly soften to brighter shades of blue.

"Yeah, at least it's the weekend," she smiled. "I think after, you know, having sex and all that we should probably go on a date soon. What do you say, kitty? You free?"

"I don't know," He mused. "I might already be booked, you know? Being a model and all? I'll see if I can't fit it in. I mean, right now, I'm way too occupied by a certain someone."

"Oh? What's this certain someone like?" She giggled.

"Well, she can be shy on occasion. I daresay she's a bit awkward when she's shy but it's adorable. She's a passionate designer- probably destined to outdo even the caliber of the great Gabriel Agreste. She's a devoted friend- I'm pretty sure Chat Noir would be pushing up the catnip if it wasn't for her. And she's a goddess incarnate- I have personal experience to back up that claim."

"Sounds pretty exclusive to me," she winked. Then, all the sudden, her phone that had been in her pants pocket, rang.

Adrien giggled softly, "Do you want me to get that for you, bug-a-boo? Which one of your friends could that be? Perhaps one I don't know?"

"It's probably Alya! I can bet on it. Besides, the Marinette fans don't call this late," she teased.

"The Marinette fans? Is Chat going to have to go _claw to claw_ with some competition for his princess?" he joked. "It's a little early for Alya to be calling. Shouldn't she and Nino be... uh... keeping each other company?" He suggested, before shaking it off, "Does she still run the Ladyblog?"

"Well, the Ladyblog is still there, but she has had nothing to talk about since the action stopped," she said. "So, would you like to pick up the phone and freak her out?" she laughed.

"Well, with Hawkmoth back in town, she'll get the chance to return to her hardcore journalism now," he murmured before smirking. "I'm pretty sure it'll make her heart stop, but it should be fun," he grinned devilishly, reaching his hand out for the cellphone.

"I'm glad to hear that," she rolled her eyes, laying back on the bed.

Adrien pressed the answer button before putting the phone up to his ear, "Hello, you've reached the Dupain-Cheng dorm room!" he greeted in a sing-song voice, "My name is Adrien; how can I help you?"

"Holy shit, Nino! I knew Adrien was fucking Mari! Hand it over!" Alya screamed, causing Nino to groan in the background.

"Woah, hey! So much for censorship!" he said quickly, "How did you even know that?"

"Oh, please, there is no way on this Earth that you would be at her place this late at night," Alya said.

"I, well, I'm that I could think of a few excuses, I'm sure," he chuckled nervously before he went to change the subject. "So, uh, how have you two been? I haven't seen or spoken to either of you in more than a few months. What gave you the inclination to call? Do you have some sixth sense that tingles when I'm in the same room as Marinette?"

"Well, it sure was a surprise hearing you, Mister model-face, but my boss sent me a report that Ladybug and Chat Noir have appeared again! She wants me to go back to Paris and get a full article on it!"

"A full article? Oh, boy, what a catch, huh. I'm sure they were just on a late-night stroll for old times' sake. I mean, yeah. Well, good for you, yeah? The Ladyblog is going to get a new breath of life, I'm supposing?"

"Of course! I already posted on my blog about moving back to Paris for this!" Alya cheered.

Marinette looked at Adrien with slight confusion. "So, what is she saying?"

His eyes burst wide at the information. He gathered his thoughts before cupping the speaker with his hand. "She's moving back to Paris!" he whispered, "She knows about Ladybug and Chat's run earlier!" He quickly returned the phone to his ear, putting on the sleek, model charm, "Oh, hey, that's awesome! Maybe we can all get together and do stuff around Paris like we used to!"

"I'd love that! I'm dragging Nino there too, so it will be just like old times!"

Marinette looked over at Adrien in pure excitement.

"But anyway, tell me exactly why you're at Mari's place you pretty-faced freak?"

"Oh, boy, you've roped Nino along with you too?" he breathed in surprise, "Geez, now all we need is Chloe to show up out of nowhere," he muttered. "No, but I'm sure we'll have a blast. And, uh, I'm at Mari's place because she wanted help with early morning design ideas!" he said quickly.

"Oh, really?" she said sarcastically, "Her phone is always in her back pocket. How exactly did you get that?"

"I asked her who it was, and she gave it to me. We thought it would have been fun to see how you might've reacted to me answering."

"But what if I requested to video chat? Just for proof," she laughed.

He looked to Marinette quickly, a nervous look on his face, "Well, come on Alya. Is that necessary? I mean, It's dark anyway and neither of us wants to wake anyone else up."

"You could always close your door and turn on the lights?" she laughed. "You've been caught! give up!"

"Alya, I mean, even if you were right, we would be, well... ahem... unclothed in that cased."

"Exactly. That's why I knew you wouldn't want to video chat," Alya announced.

Marinette's eyes widened, "What are you two talking about? Put her on speaker!"

He fumbled the phone from his ear and pressed the speaker before setting her down on the bed, "Say hello to Mari, Alya," he said, glancing at Mari embarrassedly.

"Girl! You have some explaining to do!" Alya called out to her best friend.

"Psh, no I don't! Adrien is just, uh, here. Is that so illegal?" Marinette said back, trying not to give herself away.

"How bad is it to check on a high school friend once in a while?" Adrien continued, trying to put his model charm in action, "Besides, all we've done is talk."

"Mmhmm! Exactly!" Marinette said quickly.

"Sure," Alya sighed. "Fine, fine, but I'm going to figure out what happened between you two one way or another!"

He grinned over at Marinette over their temporary victory. "I'm sure that you'll do that. When are you planning to make the move over here? I hope Nino's been good to you," he chuckled softly at the last statement.

She hummed in thought, "Possibly in a few days. And same for you, Adrien. Hurt my child and you'll regret it!"

"I swear I haven't done anything she hasn't consented to!" he said very quickly before going scarlet in the cheeks. "I mean, uh... You've nothing to worry about, Alya, I promise." He waited a bit, scratching the top of his golden head, "So, uh, got any theories already on Ladybug and Chat Noir or is that something you'll worry about when you get here?"

"Well, not yet, but I'll get something! I need more details on this new comeback first," she decided.

Marinette cut in, "I heard Ladybug had her hair in a ponytail for once," she giggled, winking at her beloved partner.

"I bet it was something extraordinary to see. I mean, Ladybug's hair is pretty much nicer than mine. All you have to do is look at it to tell," he said, smirking back at his bug-a-boo. "Well," he started, addressing Alya, "Neither of us can wait for you to get back so hurry up!"

Alya laughed, "Thanks model-face! I should probably get going. It's like 5 am,"

"Alright. It's been nice to see your still out there. Take good care of Nino for me, will you?" he chuckled. "Goodbye, Alya."

"Got it! Bye Adrien, bye Mari!" she said before hanging up.

Marinette sighed in relief, gosh, that was close.

"She's really sharpened those interrogation skills since high school," he said nervously. "So, this'll be fun. Ready to play _Around the Reporter_ like we used to?"

"Sure am," she laughed. "Gee, life is beginning to turn back to high school days. Well, not completely, but mostly."

"There are a few elements missing, and some for the better but yeah. A blast to the past, huh. That's what it is. At least, though, there are a few things that are different though. Like us," he said, a toothy grin on his face. "It does bring back the pressure to get everything right, though."

"Don't worry. You don't have to be perfect. We're all human," she softly giggled, taking his hand.

"Awh, come on, princess, you've got to have a secret to being so good at your job. How do you do it?" he said, leaning into her softly, squeezing her hand.

"Hard work," she smiled genuinely. "Not everything I do is luck-based, kitty-cat," she poked his chest.

"I'm sure you'd be this good regardless of whether or not you had your luck- Unfortunately, this kitty has to have his lucky charm around or else he's just a messy furball by himself."

"Well then I'll make sure to stay near," she laughed, hugging him. "I love you, Adrien."

"I love you too, Mari- Don't you ever forget it, okay? No matter what happens." He kissed the side of her head softly. "I've got a few important things to take care of, so I should go," he said this with great hesitancy.

"Okay, Adrien. Hey, um, could I get your number?" she blushed.

"My number? Oh, ah, sure. Here-" he leaned over the edge of the bed and dug into his pants, which were discarded on the floor. He managed to recover his phone and move back beside her. After a few presses on the screen, he showed her, "Right there. You don't have classes today? I know a few people who do on Saturdays."

"Nope! Saturday is my day off, but I do have school work on Saturdays," she explained as she added his number to her contacts.

"Alright, you stay here and do that then," he said. "I'm going to go home and see if my father is... is still there."

"Okay. Please be careful." She looked up at him. "Text me if something happens."

"I'm sure he will still be there in all of his fickle, fashion-minded glory," he said. "I'll be sure to let you know."

She sighed in relief, "Thank you, Adrien."

He kissed her softly, "Don't worry, bug-a-boo, nothing will stop me from coming back to you."

"I believe it," she laughed softly. "Bye Kitty," she said, fixing her hair mostly back into place.

He nodded, got dressed quickly and, before slipping out the door, blew a kiss in her direction. Then he was gone.

She smiled at the door, soon lying down and collapsing onto the pillows. Marinette hadn't been this tired in her life. Wait, no, that was a lie. She was in college. The last time she had a good night's sleep was in the summer. The tired little bug let herself fall asleep on the mess of her bed sheets.


	6. Fatherly Engagements

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 6**

It was only a few hours later, though, that her phone would start to ring.

Marinette groaned, rising from her soothing, comfy pillows. She rubbed her eyes and reached over to where her phone was, then answered it.

"Hey, Mari..." Adrien said, "I've been to the mansion. My father is alright and all but... I don't know, maybe it's just me, but something doesn't feel right."

Marinette blinked a few times, trying to get used to the new light in her dorm room. "Like what?"

He noticed the grogginess of her voice. "Well... My father was... soft-spoken. He was content to see me. I expected a volcano to erupt when I showed up but... No, he's hiding something from me. He does this when he knows something that involves me. You don't think that... No, that's crazy," he sighed. "I'm sorry, Mari, I'll figure it. Sorry for interrupting anything you were doing."

"No, it's okay! I'm glad you called me," she smiled.

"I don't know if Hawkmoth has been around here. Maybe that's why my father is acting so strangely. Though, he did seem like he was content so now would be a better time than any to come and meet him. I mean... I know you've met him before but..."

"Of course!" she said quickly. "When would be the best time?" Marinette put the phone down, pressing the speaker button, and searching the room for something to wear.

"Just any time before this afternoon- he doesn't have any meetings until this evening," he said. "I know how much you admire his work and all."

"Mmhmm! He's one of my favorite designers," she smiled, slipping on some clothes.

"Alright, you want me to come by and pick you up? Or, well, you remember where I live, right?"

"Yeah, I know the way. I'll be over there soon," she stretched, brushing out her hair. As she looked in the mirror she remembered how Adrien complemented her about her hair being down, so she let it go, but put on a beanie just to keep things stylish.

"Alright. I love you, Mari," he murmured. "I'll see you then."

"I love you too, Adrien," she giggled, hanging up the phone. She then looked in a full mirror, making a few last-minute adjustments to her outfit before she called out to her small, spotted friend and transformed, swinging across Paris until she reached the Agreste household. Once she landed behind a tree, she de-transformed.

A moment later, and Adrien came out of the mansion, a relieved smile on his face. "I thought I heard a little Ladybug."

She tapped his shoulder, smirking at his words. "Oh, did you now?"

"Yeah, I have _furr-ific_ hearing," he smirked. "How are you, milady?"

"Hmmm," she hummed. " _Spot-acular_ ," she teased, reaching over and poking him in the chest.

"Here, I'll take you in and show you around if you'd like."

"I'd love to," she laughed softly. "Is your room still as cool as I remember?"

"I guess it hasn't changed much. I still have all the video games we used to play together."

"Awh, sweet! I bet I could still kick your ass in all of them," she smirked, cracking her knuckles. Sure, she hadn't played in a few years and was slightly rusty, but she knew she could win at anything video game related.

"Oh, please, I was just going easy on you since you loved it so much- Now, all is fair in love and war, darling!" he smirked toothily. He waved at her, "Come on, hot stuff, we'll get to the video games at some point, don't worry."

She couldn't help but laugh, "Okay!" She crossed her arms in the most confident way possible. "Let's go inside."

He led her into the large foyer. The roof vaulted up high and ahead of them was the grand staircase that led to the hallway which, to the left, lead to the office of Gabriel Agreste and, to the right, his room. There were also various other rooms they could explore. "So, an entire mansion. It's depressingly lonely in here when you're alone."

"Geez, no kidding." She looked around as she walked with him, feeling a sense of emptiness. She wished his house was smaller. Maybe then it would give him a touch of home. Instead of a prison-like kingdom. Marinette had to admit, it was beautiful though. Despite the quiet sound, it was a very nice place.

The architecture was stunning. This was a fact that Adrien had considered all too often. He stared up at the void that was the empty space around him. There was no warmth here, just cold stone and marble. He frowned. Even his room, which he tried so hard to fill with furniture to make it seem cozier, felt like an open vacuum. He sighed, walking through it, trying to drone out the loud, echoing sound of their footsteps. They reached the staircase, "Watch your step here, these stairs are treacherous."

She nodded, taking absolutely caution with about every step. "So, I'm guessing you don't like living here?"

"No, it's cold and heinously soul-killing. You get lost in here and you feel so alone and small and..." he stopped to sigh. "But I can never seem to escape it."

"Maybe you can escape it," she nodded. "Have you ever asked your father about moving out?"

"I have. He told me not to ask him that when I know full well I couldn't depend on myself," he said softly, sighing. "My father thinks me incapable and that all I know is how to look pretty."

"Well, he's wrong. You're what? Eighteen? Nineteen? You are an adult and can take care of yourself, and if he really feels that way then maybe he would feel better if you got a roommate," she shrugged. "I'm sure there are lots of people who would let you share a room."

"I know he's wrong, but he doesn't care. He's been like this for as long as I can remember," he said. "I've tried everything I can think of but I never thought about a roommate before. Though, I'm sure his response to it would be something like, ' _And tell me, Adrien, who would make a sensible partner for you that wouldn't exploit your status and popularity_.' and then I would stare blankly at him because, unfortunately, he's right. There's little if any at all who wouldn't do that. And he would simply return to his work and that would be the end of it. I'm too popular for my own good. The entire world loves me, and I'm trapped away from it all- my freedom denied because of my father and because of who I am."

"But that's not who you are. I never saw a model. Sure, it was nice to have some pictures of you in magazines instead of like, stalking you, or something, but just because you are a model doesn't mean that's what's in your heart. Inner beauty is most important." She offered him a smile.

He stopped walking and looked at her, somewhat astonished before looking down at his feet, "I wish my father would stop and consider that once in a while. I'm just a puppet to him- a puppet designed to show off his own clothes," he sighed. "I wish I could... but... no, he'd say no to anything I suggested."

"I hope that one day you'll find something you would like to do," she looked up at him. "Don't lose hope just yet."

"Well, I have a lot of spare time when I'm here so I like to do things with my computer. I can make little programs on it- things like a virtual piano or a little animation maker. Cool things like that. They take some time to make but they're like fun, little puzzles."

"Ever thought of computer programming for a major?" She tilted her head. "It could work out well and would probably bring good pay."

"I definitely have! I want to but, you know how my father is. I would have to go to a college and that's not here, so he doesn't like it. I'm pretty sure he'd start jumping for joy if I were to tell him I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but I'd never do that. It doesn't interest me. I mean, a large majority of my childhood was being exposed to it. It's eaten my life away and I'm only numb to it. I... I don't want to come off as brash... Your designs are amazing! Though, I don't know..." he said. "If I talked my father into letting me go and get a major like computer programming, I could even go to your college!"

"I'd love that! Computer programming is there too. Anything in the arts direction you could possibly think of is there. But, uh, if you were to do that... You could always stay at my place," she rubbed her arm. "If that's okay of course!" she nodded quickly.

"Oh, Mari, that would work out perfectly, wouldn't it?" he said, smiling. "We could both do what we love and be together and be happy!" he sighed softly, thinking about it as his eyes trailed off. After a moment, he snapped back to attention. "There's still the issue of convincing my father to go through with it though."

"Yeah, but don't lose hope. I'm sure we could figure this out somehow," she said.

He nodded and took her hand in his. "Thank you, Mari," he murmured softly, looking at her with such gratitude. "You have no idea how much better things are when you're by my side. I bet we could talk my father into- Oh... He doesn't know about us yet."

"Yeah... How do we tell him? I'm sure he would probably want someone like Chloé to be dating you," she tapped her chin in thought.

He made a face at a thought of him dating Chloé. "I'm sure I'd survive him disowning me better than me dating Chloé," He said softly. "She's a manageable friend. Let's leave it at that," he sighed, scratching his head. "I don't know how to tell him, really. Should we just hope for the best? Regardless of what he says, I'm not leaving you, Mari," he said, softly leaning into her and giving her hand a squeeze. "I suppose all we can do though is just find out."

"Okay," she smiled at his hand, then up at him. "Ready?"

He nodded and took a moment to breathe before he raised a hand and knocked on the door to his father's office. The noise of his knuckles against the wood of the door sent a shivering noise echoing through the lifeless space of the mansion. There came no answer. Adrien took another breath before doing the same action followed by, "Father?"

There was a beat.

"Adrien, come in."

Gabriel's sharp, intelligent voice came from within. Adrien looked to Marinette, swallowing. "Here goes nothing."

Marinette looked back at him, nodding. She wasn't scared, right? She was just going to meet her favorite designer for the first time, and he just happened to be the father of Adrien Agreste, who was also her partner in crime. No big deal at all.

Adrien opened the door. There was a pin-drop silence in the room, only disrupted by the sound of a tapping clock-metronome counting every passing second. His father sat in front of a desk, facing away from Adrien and Marinette. He had on a loose-fitting vest, mashing a beautiful array of light-browns and soft purples. He had his glasses on, resting loosely on the bridge of his nose as he had his head tilted downward.

Adrien stepped into the room, dreading every noise that every step made before he was standing just a few inches directly behind his father. He needed confidence, or his father would exploit his hesitation- he'd played this scenario way too many times before.

"Father, I need to talk to you about some things."

There was a long pause before his father rested his sketching pen down onto the face of the desk.

"Given the circumstances of our meeting earlier this morning, I'm not sure what else could be plaguing your mind," Gabriel said, it was so close to being a dismissal.

Adrien took a deep breath, "I've decided on a few things."

Another beat, except that Mister Agreste lifted his head and spun around in his chair to face him- then he saw Marinette.

"And I see you found it necessary to recruit Miss Dupain-Cheng for this."

Marinette breathed, stepping over to where Adrien was standing, a calm, yet stern look on her face. "It's nice to see you, Mister Agreste," she nodded, keeping her cool in check.

"The pleasure is all mine. Now, I'm curious. I've never known Adrien the type to roll in here with a sidekick-" Gabriel was cut off.

"She's not my sidekick, father! She's more than just a sidekick," Adrien said. "I love her."

Gabriel fell silent before setting his steely gaze on Adrien. "Is this one of the things you decided?"

Adrien's eyes widened. "What? No- I... I guess I've felt that way about her for longer than I realized."

She blushed, trying to study what Gabriel was thinking. Marinette flicked her eyes to Adrien a few times.

"And what else have you decided?" he asked as if it was almost a challenge.

"I want to go to college," Adrien replied.

"Are you sure you'd be able to handle that? You barely handled high school when I let you. Where would you live? How far would it be? How would you handle all of the people who recognized and then in turn never left you alone?"

Adrien was speechless, his mouth hanging open.

"An art school," Marinette murmured, before letting her volume grow. "It's a school for anything in the arts. Designing, acting, singing, dancing, painting, programming…"

"And which category would you fall under, Adrien?"

"Programming," he managed. "I want to make things with computers."

Gabriel was silent for a moment before closing his eyes. "Technology is such a deplorable science though- it doesn't constitute passion or imagination like that of fashion or art. It's a cold and lonely science."

Adrien's eyes drifted downward. "Not as cold and lonely as this mansion."

"So, you're ungrateful?"

Adrien's eyes widened.

"No- I never-"

"It sure sounded like it."

Marinette bit her lip harshly.

"Mister Agreste, I think what Adrien is trying to say is that this place is lacking a sense of home," she explained. "I'm sure he likes all of the things he has been giving, but it just doesn't seem right. At… At least I believe that is what he thinks."

Gabriel frowned but he let his eyes slowly drift before sighing.

"The one thing I've strived for since Adrien was but a child."

He looked at Marinette and then at Adrien.

"So, college is what you want?"

Adrien nodded.

"And you want some major involving computers?"

Adrien nodded again.

Gabriel's eyes drifted to Marinette.

"And you say Miss Dupain-Cheng here has managed to capture his heart?"

Adrien glanced at Marinette before turning back and nodding.

"Well, you're certainly attempting to undermine my plans for you."

Adrien closed his eyes, "Father, fashion just isn't the same for me as it is for you or Marinette- both of you do incredible work but... I'm not sure that I can match that. Though, I've already done a lot with computers because of my spare time- I can almost make anything. And just imagine that one day, maybe, all the computers in France could have the Agreste label it."

Marinette's mind went to her old computer screen. Adrien's face mixed with heart designs. She almost let her smile show but pushed it away. This was serious. No time to imagine Adrien's face and computers.

There was silence for several moments with Gabriel's eyes downcast, holding his glasses in between his fingers. Adrien had stopped breathing and only after his father spoke did he begin to breathe again.

"I'll work out the details. You will go for one month and I will track every element of your progress. At the end of the month, I will make the final decision. If you mess up, that will be the end of it and you will come back here and I will assign you a private tutor once more."

Adrien's face burst forth with joy, his eyes lit up, and his smile was wide.

"Where is this college that you want to go to?" Gabriel asked.

Adrien hesitated, "The one that... that Marinette goes to."

Gabriel looked at Marinette, "And what do you think of that, Miss Dupain-Cheng."

"U-Um," she breathed. "I think it would be a good learning experience. There has been a lot of famous talent that has come out of that school."

"And you are currently staying with someone at your college? A roommate?"

"No, sir," she rubbed her arm. Marinette used to live with Alya until she got a big-time job outside of Paris. After that, the only people who were ever in her room was Chat Noir and Nathaniel.

"Then, perhaps, you'd care to take Adrien in as a room-mate. I can have it arranged without an issue."

"Of course," she nodded, but inside she was jumping with joy. Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's father, was letting Adrien live with her? This was big for her. She couldn't express her happiness.

"Alright, then. It's settled for now. You'll start Monday, no doubt," he said.

Adrien melted, "Thank you, father!"

Marinette wanted to hug him so badly. Adrien was going to live with her.

"Right, now. I need to finish this draft. Oh, and Miss Dupain-Cheng, you're studying to be a designer, correct, like you were in your high school years?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Design is my major and I hope to pursue designing after college as well."

"Well, I would find it interesting to see a few of your drafts. The art is short on aspiring people like yourself," he said. "Other than that, that's all."

"Thank you," she smiled at Gabriel then at Adrien.

"Thank you, father, really."

Gabriel waved him off, "Yes, yes. Now go and enjoy it."

Adrien smiled before a thought crossed his mind.

"Father, have you talked to anyone in particular about me?"

Gabriel tilted his head, "You're going to need to be more specific."

Marinette then bit her lip.

"I... I don't know... Someone you... you didn't expect," he said.

Gabriel adjusted his glasses. "I have people go on and on about you regularly," he said. "Why do you ask?"

Adrien shied away, "No reason. Thank you, father," he said, turning and heading for the door.

Marinette followed him. Once he closed the door, she looked at him.

Adrien went to the opposite wall and braced himself against it, sliding down so his back was to it and his feet were bent close to him. A hand ran through his hair and another hang loosely in his lap. His breaths were somewhat labored and heavy, his head tilted slightly downward.

"Adrien?" Marinette sat down next to him, her legs crossed, and her hands folded in her lap. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm... That went... differently than I expected. I'm just surprised," he said. He leaned into her. "I guess it all worked out. Like you said."

"I'm glad it worked out okay," she rested her head on him as she intertwined her fingers with his. "Do you really think your father is okay with you living with me?"

"He wouldn't have suggested it if he wasn't okay with it. You must have really impressed him," he said, smiling softly at her. "I'm excited though- there's no getting rid of this cat now, bug-a-boo."

She laughed, "I guess I can take in a stray, but just this once." She reached up and poked his nose.

"Trust me, I'm all you'll ever need," he chuckled softly, looking down slightly. "Thank you, Mari, you know, for sticking with me through all of this."

"Of course, Adrien. I'd do anything for you. You're my best friend."

He stayed leaning gently against her still. He was content to have her there with him. It was all he really needed. "That means so much to me," he said softly. His eyes drooped closed for a moment before he sighed. "What do you want to do now? We could go to my room if you'd like and relax."

"Hmm, sounds nice. But I challenge you to every video game you got first. Relaxing later. This little lady wants to prove her virtual strengths," she cheered.

"Oh, _paw-lease_ , I don't have to play with gentlemen's rules anymore so there's little chance of you surviving, I hate to tell you." He smirked devilishly, before rising to her feet and reaching for her hand.

"Oh, really? You obviously know I don't always play by the shy, innocent way either," she winked at him, taking his hand and rising as well.

"Oh, boy, this one's a firecracker, alright," he chuckled, putting his arm around her.


	7. The Race for Knowledge

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 7**

Adrien's wonderful sleep was disturbed by a particularly bright ray of sunlight piercing through the balcony window and focusing on reaching his face. Raising his hand, he made a groggy noise of discontentment before he shifted. He opened his eyes and saw the sleeping form of Marinette beside him and he couldn't contain his smile so he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.

Marinette's eyes fluttered open as she reached over and cupped his cheek, "Hello," she giggled against the soft, warm pillows.

"Hey," He smiled sleepily. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm," she hummed with a slight nod, letting her hand drop and burying her face back into the pillows. "You, Kitty?"

He smiled and rubbed her back affectionately. " _Purr-fect_ , being snuggled up against my princess."

Marinette laughed a soft laugh against the pillows once more, then looked up at his pretty face. "You're such a flirt," she teased, giving his nose a light poke.

"I try. Anything to make you laugh," he said. "Because we have to prepare for the day somehow."

She groaned, wrapping her arms around him. "Don't make me go to class," she whined, trying to convince him with an innocent look.

He smiled softly, taking her up and shifting so he was laying on his side and looking at her, running his hand through her dark hair. "Alas, if only I could, I'd slip you off your feet and carry you off to see the wonders of the world."

"Sounds amazing," she said softly. "Make it a reality, please." Her eyes were closed as she held onto him, not wanting to ever let him go in fear that he would be gone forever if she did.

He laughed softly. "Ah, maybe one day, bug-a-boo," he said. "Right now, though, we have a city to protect and you have a class to upstage with your beautiful designs."

"Okay, okay," she laughed, untangling herself from the covers and dragging herself out of bed. Marinette gathered some clothes before walking into the bathroom and closing the door.

He sat up, brushing his hair out his eyes with his fingers as he sighed, a wide smile on his face. He got up, stretching as he glanced around for his clothes.

"I'm gonna take a shower, okay?" she said, balling her up a change of clothes in her hands before heading to the door. She earned a noise of agreement from Adrien so she disappeared into the bathroom.

Adrien turned, having dressed again, "Hey, Plagg!" he called and waited for a response but there didn't come one, which led him to roll his eyes. "Alright, you lazy kwami! Come out here!"

Now there came a groan. "What?"

Adrien put his hands on his hips, "It's time to go."

"Yeah, Plagg!" the spotted kwami cheered. "The early bird gets the worm!" Tikki nudged Plagg with her tiny nubs, trying to push him off the tiny pillow he was resting on.

"But the late bloomer gets to stay home and eat cheese," he groaned, slowly rising up into the air and sighing, escaping the little room. "Fine. You win this time," he said. "We're going to go see your dad?"

Adrien nodded, turning to see Marinette slip into the room in a loose t-shirt and towel over her hair. He got lost, watching her get dressed, and fix her hair. She looked into the mirror, tilting her head at her reflection.

Adrien sneakily joined the reflection as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. "You're absolutely gorgeous," he told her. "No-one's going to stop you. I'd bet you're going to outdo even the likes of the Agreste label."

She chuckled. "Thanks, Kitten," she smiled, watching his reflection in the mirror.

He smiled. "Always, princess," he said before stepping back. "You get going now. I'll see you afterward."

Marinette turned to him. "Okay," she said simply, placing a small peck on his lips. "I'll see you then," she giggled, walking out of the bathroom, collecting Tikki, and leaving the dorm.

He smiled softly. "Alright, Plagg, time for us to go too," he said, walking out the door.

As Marinette went through her day she had her cat in the back of her mind. It gave her more confidence and more focus on her schoolwork. Hours seemed to run past for her since she felt so great. Marinette ended up checking her phone for the time between classes and realized that she didn't have any more for the day. She felt stupid at the realization, but happily walked back to her dorm room and opened the door. Adrien, although, was not in the room when she returned.

She let her backpack slide off her shoulders and onto the floor, as she strolled over to her bed. She sat down on it and took one of her many design books out from the drawer of her nightstand. Her thumb graced over a sticker on the cover, a soft smile on her lips.

 _Inspirations of Ladybug and Chat Noir._

She opened the cover and found herself lost in the fact that the silly cat she sketched in so many different ways happened to be someone who could have pulled every single one of her ideas. Her concentration shattered when she heard a sheepish knock at the door. She closed the book and set it in her place, floating off the bed with an air of happiness at the thought of who could be on the other side.

Only, when she opened the door, it faded instantly. There a stood a tomato-haired, young man nervously waving at her.

"Hey, Mari. How are things?"

"Um... Things are good. They're just fine," she nodded quickly, an anxious smile on her face. She glanced back at the clock on the far wall inside of her room before stepping out onto the walkway and shutting the door behind her.

"So, uh... Oh, I brought you this," he said, holding a little metal bucket filled with tons of different teas wrapped in plastic. "Because, you know, I thought because you're up late a lot and all... like I am, you know? And I thought you'd like some tea to keep you awake."

"Thank you," she said, smiling nervously at the bucket as it was put into her hands. She glanced up at him, stretching her smile out as politely as she could manage.

"So, uh... Have you thought any about me as a roommate? I mean, if it's not any trouble..." He murmured. "Anyways... Mid-terms are coming up and... I thought that we could get a study session planned out for the next few weeks... I got these really nice review books you might like."

"Oh. Um... Okay. Good, I'm sure we can, uh, use it. And I, um, haven't really thought about the room-mate things." She tilted her head, batting her eyes at him. "Things are just sort of complicated now," she said hesitantly as she rubbed her arm.

"I see. Uh, would it be better if I came back later? I don't want to rush you or anything."

"No, no! It's not that. I'm just super busy right now," she tried.

"Oh, sorry to hear that. Is there, uh, anything I could do to help?"

"Not really. Uh, a friend is coming into town."

"Oh. Alright," he sighed softly. "Enjoy your time with your friend. So no study sessions then?"

"Um, Maybe a few. Text me later okay?"

Nathaniel nodded his head, actually managing to smile. "Alright. See you around, Marinette."

"See you!" She beamed in relief, sending him off with a wave before slipping in and shutting the door lightly. She rushed over to her bed and fell back onto the warm covers with a sigh.

 _Explaining this to Adrien is going to be fun_ , she thought.

She let off a small squeak when she heard another knock on the door. Marinette sat up, biting her bottom lip. She got up and opened the door, taking a breathe and preparing to see the person she was expecting.

And it was. Adrien's glowing features were there to greet her, but there was a hint of worry behind his model smile. "Hey, Mari, sorry for taking so long. I'm here now. How are you?"

"Better now that you're here," she smiled, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "I missed you so much."

He smiled, laughing a bit as he returned the hug, wrapping his arms and cradling her gently. "Sheesh, if this is the sort of greeting I get every time, I should take off more often," he teased, kissing the top of her head. "We've got a few problems on our hands, though. I don't know what to make of them."

She released their hug. "What kind of problems?" she tilted her head, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well, my father wasn't at the mansion as I had hoped," he sighed. "That can only mean that Hawkmoth still has him. I did some looking around while I was there and found a collection of newspaper clippings in my father's office."

"Did you bring them? What were they about?" She said quickly, pulling him to the bed and sitting the both of them down on it.

He leaned gently into her. "C'mon, bug-a-boo, you should have a little more faith in your kitty," he teased, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a bundle of clippings. "You remember how we first found out that Hawkmoth was back during the break-in at the Louvre? Well, there were more than we first thought. Different places."

"Different places?" she sent back with a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Hawkmoth has been all over Paris, it would seem. Except for a handful of places. He seems to be focusing on art museums and historic institutions."

"He must be looking for information. Most likely about our Miraculouses or the past Miraculous holders," she theorized in a hushed tone.

"Why he would need that information is beyond me He can't do anything with them because he's not bound to them... unless he plans on attempting to destroy them."

"Sounds like something he would do," she sighed. "We need to get whatever he's searching for before him."

"I thought Master Foo had everything to do with the Miraculouses, though," he said. "At least the charms, anyway. He would know where to find other things if he doesn't have them himself."

"Yeah, we just need to warn him about all of this. If Hawkmoth finds him or the Miraculouses, then we will be in big trouble and Hawkmoth will have a new team of villains," Marinette sighed, falling back onto the bed, letting her arms dangle above her head.

Adrien ran a hand through his blond locks. "If that's the case, it might be a good idea, after all, to push for Alya and Nino taking up their own Miraculouses. Is that a good idea to put that kind of stress and responsibility on them, especially since they haven't even got back to Paris?"

"I'm sure we can teach them," Marinette said, "Alya is a quick learner, anyway. She's used to taking on things she hasn't done before. Besides, she's not a world-class journalist for nothing. Nino will go along with anything Alya is up for, obviously. So, it'll be just a matter of getting them up to speed, which won't be too difficult, I think, especially with all the experience we've ranked up."

He pulled on the sleeves of his jacket, sighing. "We should head over to Master Fuu first. He doesn't know we've revealed ourselves to each other yet so I wonder what he'll think of that."

She stretched out before standing up and offering a hand to him."Yeah, it might take some explaining, but I'm happy we did it," she said. Adrien took her hand and stood with him while she got her bag and slung it over her shoulder, opening it so Tikki could fly inside.

He reached into his jacket pocket, fluffing it out so it could fit his kwami. "Alright, Plagg, road trip," he laughed, much to the dismay of the little kwami who groaned while entering the pocket.

She giggled, opening the door and heading down the walkway. "Gee, I almost forgot about Nathaniel. He brought me some tea a few hours ago, talking about how he wanted to start having study sessions with me. I'm starting to get the feeling that he still has a crush on me."

Adrien visibly frowned, "Have you told him we're together?" he asked. "Has he been around here often?"

"Kinda. He knows I'm with someone. I'm planning on mentioning your name the next time I see him. Also, I should probably explain to him that he can't stay in my dorm. I just really don't want to break the guy's heart," she sighed.

Adrien fidgetted with his Miraculous wrapped around his finger. "Yeah, it's surprising that the both of us decided to rekindle past relationships at the same time. He was always such a loner back in high school, so I don't know that he really focused on anyone else," Adrien said. "Still, I think it's better if he knows what is going on instead of egging him on. Otherwise, he'll start assuming he has a chance, no matter how bad he makes you feel."

"Kitty, you have nothing to worry about it. I'll handle this. And I'll tell him I'm not interested too. I just hope he doesn't hate my guts after this."

"I don't think anyone could hate your guts, unless we're talking about Chloé." He slipped a hand into his pocket. "I trust you, Mari, and I know you'll handle it."

"Thank you." She sent him a loving smile, then looked down as they descended the stairs, "I know this might sound crazy, but... I've thought a lot about it since high school. Maybe there is a reason why Chloé is so mean to everyone."

Adrien shrugged before bringing a hand to the back of his neck. "Not sure. I mean, back before high school, she was still pretty expectant but more sociable and actually pretty friendly. I used to play outside with her in the front yard of the mansion before her father became mayor. At that time, he was just a council member. After that, she became extremely inclusive and grew to be how we both know her. I haven't talked to her since high school, though."

"Yeah. It's been a while since I've actually experienced fun, besides studying, with other people," she chuckled. "I'm glad you flew in my dorm, Kitty."

"Chat Noir is too _purr-sistant_ of a cat to let his Ladybug get away from him. Distance and time mean nothing," he said. "And don't worry about it. It's made my life all the better."

"Good to know," she said, letting some time pass as they headed to their destination. Once they got there, Marinette paused for a moment. "Adrien, I met Master Fuu for the first time in high school when Tikki dragged me there, but how did you meet him?"

He blinked, stopping short of the door of Master Fuu's place. "Oh, that was... Well, when I first met him, I didn't realize it was him," he said. "He showed up at the mansion one day out of the blue first claiming he was a sales representative for the line of cosmetics I use when I model. Then, when I was talking to him alone, I got the notion that he knew more than he let on and was there for a different reason. I connected the dots but he never confirmed it so I just started assuming. I mean, we might walk in here and see someone totally different but I was able to make the connection because he showed up in the Miraculous encyclopedia."

She laughed nervously, "Heh, about that book. Lila kind of, um, stole that from you and then threw it away and Tikki told me to go get it and bring it to Master Fuu," she rubbed her arm, her face red from embarrassment. "Sorry, I should've told you earlier."

He put his arm around her, smiling, "Hey, don't sweat it but was that why you were snooping around the park when I was there? Admittedly, I was freaking out about it though," he said. "Did you ever look inside of it?"

"A little. Just a peek, though," she nodded, looking over at the entrance. "Do you think he is here?"

He shrugged, "I have no idea, honestly. I don't know him that well so I have no idea where he lives."

"I know," she smiled at him, "I just mean if he's home or not, silly Kitty. I've been here before," she giggled, giving his hand a small squeeze.

"Oh, right." He chuckled softly. "I knew that," he assured her, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling at her before knocking and waiting. For several moments, there was no response but the door swung slowly open suddenly.

There was no one near the doorway, yet voices could be heard upstairs. Marinette and Adrien exchanged glances while they waited, neither of them wanting to act out of turn. Eventually, though, they could hear the sound of fluttering on the other side of the door, and a set of wide, green eyes peered out to see the couple. After a moment, opened it wide for them, revealing a turtle-like kwami. "Please, come in," Wayzz said, smiling a calm smile, "Master Fuu has been expecting the both of you."


	8. An Upgrade in Power

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 8**

"So, uh, It's surprising to see that Master Fuu is still in business. Despite, you know, I've only ever seen him once and all."

Wayzz darted around the room, carrying the necessary things to brew cups of tea for Master Fuu's guests. Though, he came to hover between the two of them on hearing Adrien's words. "It has been quite a while since his youth, so things are more complicated when it comes to traveling places," the kwami explained.

Master Fuu, in the meantime, descended the short flight of stairs, bearing his cane. A coy smile pressed on his curled lip ever so softly at the sight of the two of them. "Well, isn't this a pleasant meeting, yes?" he started, "I always knew that I'd be alive for the day when the two of you would finally come to realize how intensely intimate your dynamic was," the elder Chinese man chuckled.

"Mmhmm, I'm surprised we didn't realize it sooner," Marinette giggled. "This makes things much easier for crime fighting."

Adrien smiled, glancing over at Marinette. "Yes, things turned out for the better, I think," he said. "We share a lot more now that we're aware of whom is standing beside one another."

Master Fuu nodded, running his hand over his chin. "Yes, you'll need this companionship on the road ahead. Many dangers linger on the horizon. You're aware of one more obvious, correct?"

"Well, we are aware of Hawkmoth kidnapping Mister Agreste. Also, he seems to have some future plan up his sleeve that he appears to be confident in," Marinette replied.

"That was exactly what I was referring to," he said, "For Hawkmoth, however, there seems to be a driving notion of fear in his actions. Wayzz and I have pondered many an evening over it. Not only that, he is looking for something. I've yet to find how what," he murmured.

Adrien crossed his arms loosely, "We thought it had to do with historical landmarks and such."

"Yes, the book I returned to you a while back, the first time we met. Tikki told me you had been looking for it for a long time," she said.

Master Fuu took an interest, tilting his head, "You never told me where the book was found but yes, I have it still with me. If Hawkmoth is trying to find Miraculous artifacts, that would be the first on his list."

"Well, I actually stole the book from Adrien..." she confessed, a nervous smile breaking out on her face.

Adrien smiled, looking at Mari. "It's not an issue. It's probably safer here," he said.

Master Fuu nodded, "I suppose that's true. And I probably should ask where you found it?" he said.

Adrien looked away briefly, "Well, I found it in my father's vault."

Marinette's eyes fluffed with worry. She had no idea, but it led her to believe that Hawkmoth thought that his father still had the book. It'd make so much sense as to why he'd kidnap Gabriel Agreste. Adrien had been oblivious to such thoughts. Even the fact that his father of all people would have a book of Miraculouses hidden away from the rest of the world. For some reason, Adrien felt little concern- not out of blatant disregard, but that his father was a sort of collector of art on top of fashion.

"Very interesting. For Hawkmoth to have returned after almost six years, something must have drawn him out," he mused, looking at the two of them. "Though, with our Ladybug and our Chat Noir reunited, nothing Hawkmoth does will go uncontested."

Adrien glanced at Marinette briefly before his vision did circles in deep thought. "Yes, but, well... Since there is more trouble going on here and Hawkmoth does seem to have an advantage with the kidnapping and all, We were thinking... Is there any way to improve our strength?"

"Perhaps," Master Fuu drew out, stroking his thin beard. "I have not spent a lot of time considering the possibilities and for good reason. The power of the Miraculouses is something that attracts those who wish to abuse it. I chose the two of you to take up the mantle of your respective kwamis because you possess the purest of hearts and soundest of minds. Other than that, I am not sure what else I could share with you. Perhaps we could consult the book..."

"Okay," Marinette beamed.

"Sir, would you like me to fetch it for you?" Wayzz asked, earning a nod from the wise man. Tikki giggled. The little bug was so happy so see her old friend again. It had been a while since she had seen Wayzz and Plagg, but she was more excited about seeing her turtle buddy since he was more tolerable than a certain whiny kitten.

And there was that certain whiny kitten getting somewhat jealous of Tikki's favoritism towards the other kwami, so he returned to watch Tikki dance about her turtle friend with a calculating glare from the edge of Adrien's bag, only the top of his head peeking out.

Wayzz swooped out of the room. Marinette couldn't help but notice the small kitten, reaching over to give him a slight pat on the head. Tikki flew down by the edge of the bag, "Hello, Plagg! Finally wake up, yet?"

"Yeah, something that," the cat kwami grumbled, rolling his eyes, "How's catching up with your bud, there?"

"Great! It's exciting to see old friends! Well, I've probably known you guys more than Adrien or Marinette... But it's still exciting!" she chimed.

"Sure, looks like it," he murmured before looking to Master Fuu, "So, how is the rest of the gang?" Master Fuu looked at the little cat, "If you're referring to the other kwamis, they are resting in their Miraculouses peacefully."

As Master Fuu finished, a small voice spoke from another room, "Tikki! Could you help me with this? It's heavy, considering my size and all," Wayzz chuckled. Tikki zipped out of the room to help him. Soon, the two entered once again with the book above their little heads.

Master Fuu took the book from them, chuckling at the sight. "Much thanks to the two of you," he said, carrying the book over and opening it on top of a small side table before paging through it. The book was filled with rough sketches of past incarnations of wielders utilizing each respective Miraculous. Alongside each of them, and occasionally occupying whole pages, were lines of text in a language which looked nowhere familiar to any language Adrien and Marinette would have been exposed to. Stroking his beard, he stopped on a specific page and stared at it for several moments.

Marinette peered over the table, watching as he turned the pages. Her face was amazed by the strange writings and pictures. When he stopped flipping, Marinette looked at him in confusion, "What is it?"

A smile touched his face as he looked at the two of them before he ran his hand across the page, over the text which then became readable to them, "How about some additions to your Miraculouses? Hmm?" he mused, a coy smirk on his ancient features. "You're both experienced enough that you could use a few upgrades."

Marinette beamed, "Really? There are upgrades?"

"Yes, I've kept them hidden because I wanted you both to get used to your weapons' standard functions." He turned another page where it showed a diagram of Ladybug's Yo-Yo but it was different in the sense that it was flattened out and had blades shooting out from the center, not unlike a throwing disk. "See? I may show you that here in a moment," he said before turning a page where it showed a diagram of Chat Noir's baton. It was extended and a small handle came out, forming a launcher of some kind. "These are both ranged upgrades that you might be able to use."

"Woah," Marinette whispered in awe, then smiling over to Adrien. "Meet your fancy, Kitty?" she giggled.

"I'm happy I can be a _paw-ful_ even from far away. Akumas beware!" he smirked at her. "How do we get them, though?"

Master Fuu smiled at them before hurrying to a drawer and produced two special keys. "If you use these, it will unlock the new weapons, and use it again to return to your base weapons."

"I can't wait!" she cooed, laughing gently and folding her hands onto her lap. "But... Is there a keyhole in our weapons?"

Master Fuu nodded, "It will become clear to you when you first try to use them," he winked.

Adrien smiled, "Awesome, now we have even more tricks up our sleeves. Master Fuu, there is still the matter of, well, Ladybug and Chat Noir are only two people and Hawkmoth hinted at something bigger on the way. Is there any way we can prepare for that?"

Master Fuu tilted his head, "Oh? Are you suggesting more active Miraculous wielders?"

"Well, we thought about that and we have two close friends that we trust coming to Paris soon. We wouldn't tell them who we are right away if we did this, though. But it would be helpful if our team grew a little more," Marinette continued, nodding to Adrien and smiling brightly.

The Master ran his hand along his beard. "You have not proven me wrong yet so I will let you make that decision. All you must do, if you are sure in your ways, is to lead them here where I can make my own observations and decide accordingly. It is not out of the question but I reserve judgment. The power of the Miraculouses must not be flaunted around without a care."

"Of course," she nodded. Tikki flew over to Marinette, cuddling against her cheek, "I'm proud of you two for wanting to work hard to protect the city in the best way possible!" she cheered.

Plagg smirked from the bag looking up at Adrien. "Yeah, I guess you should get a pat on the back, kid," he said. "Don't think you did a good enough job to get Camembert, though. That's mine."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "It's alright, Plagg, eat it all, saves me from being stinky," he said before looking at the Master. "Thank you, Master Fuu, it means a lot."

Master Fuu shook his head. "I know how much you two have had to sacrifice to play your respective roles. And I hope now that you are aware of your partner, you will find happiness with each other."

Marinette reached over and grabbed Adrien's hand. "I'm sure we will."

Wayzz looked over at the two. He could sense their hearty connection. He beamed at the thought of his prediction that they would fall in love came true. It had to be true. Or else his power to feel emotion would be fake unless someone else was feeling the love in the room. If anyone it would have to be Plagg, Wayzz was sure he had a thing for Tikki. Plagg's affection for Tikki was a thing after all but perhaps it was a testament to the timeless destiny for Ladybug and Chat Noir to eventually become lovers as well as partners. Despite his stubborn, whiny nature, there was a soft core to that little kitten kwami, like that of Camembert. Yes, perhaps Plagg's feelings for Tikki outmatched those he had for Camembert, or maybe his desire for the cheese was a way to disguise his true affections.

Adrien, squeezed her hand, "Oh, definitely," he promised. "Nothing to worry about. When we're together, nothing is impossible. I'll think we'll head off now, then, Master, and let you to your work."

The Master nodded. "Good, it's tea time. Wayzz, would you mind fetching my special kettle? I think today we'll have Jasmine."

"Of course, Master," he smiled, fluttering off to find Master Fuu's kettle.

Marinette looked at the keys that Master Fuu had given them, "Oh, um, how do we know who's is who's?" she gestured to the old keys.

"Feel them and you will know," he said, before turning to follow after Wayzz. "Until we meet again, Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Until then," she smiled, turning to her beloved Partner. "Want to go out and try out these new powers?" she said, looking down at the keys they had been given.

Adrien smiled back at her. "Oh, boy, do I. We'll see what's up, too. This is great. And I'm excited to see if Alya and Nino would be up for it. It'll be a lot of fun for them, maybe."

"I hope so," she said, suddenly squealing. "Eek! Come on! Let's transform!" Marinette cheered with excitement, rising as her gaze went to Tikki. "Tikki, spots on!" she shouted, her spotted uniform replacing her dress.

Adrien raised his hand. "Plagg! Claws out!" he said. watching the kwami spin around him before being sucked up into his ring and mounting his costume before standing at the ready, "There's nothing better than a little pouncing around the one and only Chat Noir."

She picked up the two keys. "Of course, Kitty," she laughed. "We should take the keys and look for a safe place to try them out, so we aren't in the way of any pedestrians."

He nodded, "How about the parking lot behind the mall? I'm pretty sure that'll provide us with more than enough room to do what we want."

"Sounds like a plan," she winked in his direction. She flung her yo-yo out a nearby window, swinging from building to building. "Race you!"

"Oh, come on, you should know there's no way to outrun an alley cat!" he called after her, vaulting into the air with his extended baton. "'Race you, geez!" he murmured, trying to stay beside her to prove a point. He did not go ahead of her, however.

Taking advantage of their equality in speed, she sped ahead of him, finishing her performance by landing perfectly in the first parking space that caught her eye in the lot.

He smirked at the display and landed just in front her. Very close to her, in fact, so that he could smile at her and steal a peck. "Beautiful, milady," he applauded. "You deserved the win. This time, anyway. I won't go so easy on you the next time."

"I'll take note on that," she chuckled. "But just remember, this little lady has luck on her side."

"Just gives me another obstacle to overcome," he said before bringing his baton up and looking at it. "I kind of wish Master Fuu would have told us where to put these keys into."

"Me too," she sighed, looking down at the keys in her hand. "He said we would know which one goes to who and how to use 'em ourselves. But, how?"

He played around with his key, rolling it over in his palm with his claw before sighing, "Here, uh... let me see the one you have..."

She handed him the key. "Here," she shrugged. "Any ideas in that beautiful brain of yours?"

He touched the two keys together and they snapped in place as if they were one. His eyes widened before he glanced up at her. "Well, that's somethi- Wait!" he said, opening the little com window and pressed the key into the slot below it before the baton extended and dropped the little addition that would be the handle. "Ooh! Here, you try," he said, thrusting the key back into her hand.

"Okay!" she said, surprised at how easy that was. Ladybug eventually found her slot and put it inside, her yo-yo changing to a flattened disk with sharp blades attached to the center.

He smirked, standing aloof. "See, bug-a-boo, you can always count on me to solve these puzzles," he said. "They fall _purr-etty_ quick to my sharp reflections."

"I can see your much-appreciated puns are back," she teased, rolling her eyes. Ladybug pulled the key out, handing it to Chat. "Put this in your pocket. We might need it later."

He nodded and slipped it away before aiming down the length of his baton before pulling the newly revealed trigger, where a dart was launched from it. It flew and hit the side of the building. "Woah."

"So cool," Ladybug said in awe. "How do you think mine works? Do I throw it or...?" she nervously trailed, rubbing her arm.

"Oh, uh, well, just give it a toss, yeah, and see what it does."

"Mmm, okay!" she said, holding the spotted disk firmly in her hand. When she tossed it, it zipped in an oval-like motion, then came back into her hand once more. "Nice! I'm like Captain America now! Except more like Lady Paris!"

"Lady Paris, man, that's pretty cool," he said. "I like that, personally, I wonder what kind of hero uses a dart gun?"

"Well, the closest thing would probably be Hawkeye? But Hawk Noir sounds like some kind of weird combination of you and Hawkmoth."

"Pff, so you get the perfect match-up and I'm stuck with settling for a Hybrid, huh," he said. "You always were more natural when it came to a lot of things."

"You may be right, but I'm just lucky," she shrugged. "Besides, it's not like I'm changing the Ladybug title. I like it, and the upgrade will just make battling easier."

"Your luck makes you incredibly graceful," he said, aiming down the length of his baton again. "Though, I think it's more than just luck for you sometimes."

"Hard work does play an important role, but you work hard too," she reminded him. "You're amazing, you know," she smiled, wrapping her small arms around him, kissing his cheek with her warm lips.

He leaned into her hold, melting slightly, "Thanks, princess. It's tough to remember that when I'm literally the bearer of bad luck," he admitted. "That's why I always cling to you. You can always make it right."

"Good luck and bad luck even each other out. That's why we are perfect for one another," she closed her eyes, tightening her grip ever so slightly.

"That would make sense. The difference is that if it wasn't for you being around me, I'd be a walking mess and you'd be a glorious hero not bound to compensating for my faults," he murmured. He sighed, trying to shake it off before kissed her forehead. "Hey, thank you for accepting me for who I am," he whispered.

"Of course," she whispered in return. "Thank you for accepting me, too." She gently placed a kiss on his lips, her eyes gazing at his dark mask. It fit him so perfectly. It captured his beautiful eyes that kept her up at night, and it complemented his charming smile.

And the deep scarlet mask complemented those sapphire eyes of hers which looked so affectionately at him and her equally dark blue hair which contrasted the vividness of her outfit. He loved her so much, wrapping his arms around her waist as he glanced around them. "Look over there! You can see the sunset." he said softly. "No matter what happens, bug-a-boo, I'll be your _paw-tner._ "

Her eyes softened at the sight. It was a beautiful mix of colors. Ladybug predicted it would look best on maybe a skirt or a nice sundress. She looked up at him, rolling her eyes at his ridiculous pun, but loving his words anyway. "I'm glad, Kitty," she chuckled.

He couldn't help but contain a giggle himself which came when he saw her roll her eyes. It was the little responses like that which made him very happy, plus he'd never get tired of making puns while he was around her. He smirked softly afterward as he closed his eyes and listened to the evening breeze, holding Ladybug close, "We just have to get my father back, somehow."

"We will," she whispered as she pressed the back of her head against his shoulder. Despite their growth in height, Marinette was still shorter than him, but that didn't stop her from her toughness that her superheroine-self brought. "Besides, we have new powers, and hopefully some new teammates. I know we will be unstoppable. No doubt about it."

He smiled. "How long do you think Alya will go on about how she knew Ladybug and Chat Noir all along without even realizing it?"

"Probably until she dies," she laughed.

"It'll be nice to see them again," he murmured. "I've missed them. You three were my true friends."

She rolled her eyes, yet her cheeks were light pink. "Me, too. How do we explain all of this to them? We can't really tell them that Chat Noir has been visiting me and one day I confessed who I am and he did the same, then we both made out."

"I think Alya could connect the dots by herself without us giving her the hint. I mean, she called me out from just me answering the phone instead of you doing it. As for the rest of the explanation, well, we'll tell them it was a recent thing that happened and we'll deal with any questions they have at that time. They still must be up for it. I don't want to force them into it if they don't want it," he said. "We'll have to start setting aside a time away from them for ourselves. Alya will be breathing down my neck now that, heh, she knows."

She laughed. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to tell Nino to keep her busy when we need some alone time. Besides, we live together now and she will probably have her own place to stay in."

"Yeah, I can imagine it's an entire studio loaded with all her live-streaming equipment and boxes full of her journals," he chuckled. He let his eyes travel before his gaze rested on the side of a building, which seemed to take his attention.

She caught his sudden curiosity, looking at him in confusion. "Do you see something?"

There was the shadow of red and blue alternating lights bouncing off the wall. "Yeah, the police are out for some reason."

"Should we check it out? It could be serious."

"Yeah, maybe it's just me, but, you know, anything could give us a clue as to what's going on. It might just be a traffic stop or something."

"Mmhmm, but let's check it out anyways. Oh, and, we should change our weapons back to normal so we can take off. Only, if I could find the way to take them off."

"Ah, I don't know," he said, running his hand along the length of his baton. He bumped a small button on one end of his baton and it closed his dart-gun and returned it to its staff-like form. "Oh, look, see if you have the same button."

She studied the disk, flipping it over and finding a small, black button. When she pressed it, it returned to its original form. Ladybug smiled, twirling her yo-yo in the air. "Ready?"

He nodded. "Always, bug-a-boo," he said, before vaulting against the building and bounding off towards the lights.

She followed him, watching his beautiful, blonde hair move in the wind. It gave her a big enough confidence boost to speed ahead of him, watching the cop cars as she swung from building to building.


	9. The Counting Game

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 9**

"Upon reaching the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug and Chat Noir would get a better view of the scene. Police cruisers surrounded the base of the tower. There stood a character in a brightly-colored jester-like costume, chuckling heavily as the cops pulled up. Chat would land on a building nearby, looking around, frowning.

Ladybug landed next to him, leaning close. "It has to be an Akuma... Or at least someone working for Hawkmoth," she concluded as her eyes fixed on the villain.

"What an introduction, mocking us from the top of the Eiffel Tower, too," he said, gritting his teeth. "Let's figure out what's going on." Chat vaulted to the base of the tower, in front of the many police cars, looking up. "So, to whom do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" he called up.

The villain looked down at him, a baton in his hand that swirled with different colors around a bulb at the top. "Oh! The esteemed Chat Noir! I've heard much about you!"

"I'm guessing you're informed about me, also?" she asked, landing by Chat's side and readying her weapon.

"Oh-ho! Of course, Ladybug. I'd be rude of me not to recognize my biggest day," he said, "My lucky day! Both heroes of Paris."

"Thanks for the praise. Now, what has Hawkmoth put you up to?" she stared him down.

"Oh, my job is oh, so simple," he laughed. "I just wanted to see your pretty faces."

"Considering all the cops around, I assume it's much more than just meeting your idols," she sighed, placing a hand on her hip.

"They're getting the wrong idea," he said. "Ooh! I have an idea, let's play a game!"

"Games aren't really my style, especially since you're a stranger," she glared before turning to Chat. "What's our next move?" she whispered.

He glanced about, tilting his head. "I have a feeling we might already be playing his game," he said. "Look at him, he's not in any stance to react to us. He's just standing there."

The Akuma laughed, "Come on, games are my specialty, I make some really exciting ones. Oh! How about we play guess the number?"

"Hmm," she hummed, "Maybe another time." Her hand brushed over the button on her yo-yo. "I'm going to try to knock him off the tower. When I do, you catch him," she whispered.

He nodded, though the Akuma seemed to catch on and he smirked a toothy smirk. "Oh-ho! Coming up with your own game? Well, we'll play yours in a moment," he said before he raised his hands and generated two separate, large blocks and hovered them over two groups of police cars. "Alright, so, here's how it works. I'll think of a number between one and fifty. If you guess too high, I drop this block over here, and if you guess too low, I drop this one. If you nail the number on the first go, I won't drop either of them. If the police try to move or you try to save them in another way, I drop both."

"Shit," she cursed. She was too late and the police could get seriously hurt from this. Ladybug wasn't the best at guessing games. Even with luck, she was sure this wasn't going to go well.

Chat stared, the utmost concentration at the Akuma. His eyes narrowed in such a way that he could better discern the outfit of the Akuma but he kept silent while the Akuma talked.

The Akuma smirked and even chuckled a bit. "Okay, okay. Admittedly, I didn't make it very fair for you two, so... How about I give you three... Nah, three is cliché. how about two questions about how high or how low the number is."

Ladybug looked over to Chat for a slight second, before she stared back up at the Akuma."Make it three, and we have a deal."

"Pff, really? Fine... fine, because you're my idol, three, just for you, Ladybuggy!" the Akuma murmured.

Chat, meanwhile, began to count softly to himself. The cap of the Akuma swayed and the bells adorning it danced and sang with each sway of the excited villain's head.

Her eyes shot over to Chat a few times, brows furrowed in confusion. "Well, what's the first question?" Ladybug questioned as she stripped her brain away from her thoughts.

"I... uhh..." Chat looked over. "Uhh... Is it less than 25?" he asked, crossing his arms and stepping closer to Ladybug.

The Akuma smirked, "Oh, the kitty's smart. The answer is yes; thus concludes your first question."

"Hmm... Is it an odd or an even number?" she asked.

Chat smirked, proud of Ladybug as he hadn't thought about that. The Akuma considered it for a while before nodding at the question begrudgingly. "It's an odd number," he called down at them. "Last question. Think carefully about it."

Chat looked at Ladybug. "What other things about numbers are there?"

"Well, ask if it's a two-digit number... Or maybe ask if the first digit is like a one or a two or something" she said, crossing her arms.

"I don't know which would be better," he murmured, scratching his head.

"Geez, I told you that you'd only need two. Ten seconds before I make you give an answer," the Akuma threatened.

Chat's mind raced as he looked between the Akuma then at Ladybug. A light went off in his eyes suddenly. "Oh! Is the number a prime number?"

The Akuma stared blankly in response. "Yes," he muttered underneath his breath.

"Okay. Now let's think. If it's prime it can only be divided by one and itself, so it can't be 9... Or 15... Or 21... Or 25. Any other numbers we can take away?"

"That leaves us with... 1, 3, 5 and 7..." he continued her train of thought before he returned to looking over the Akuma.

The Akuma stared back, his colorful arms crossed his polka-dotted torso. The bells on his cap jingled lightly with annoyance.

Marinette leaned close to him, whispering in Chat's ear, so the Akuma wouldn't hear. "What if it's as simple as one? He might be trying to make us think harder than we need to. Plus, one would make sense with all of the questions we asked."

He pursed his lips, sighing. "No, I don't think it would be that simple. There has to be something more too it," Chat proposed. "I don't know why, but I have a gut feeling there's something about him that would give us a clue."

The Akuma did a little jig in waiting, his bells playing a song in the wind. "Oh, man, I envisioned this being much more exhilarating!"

Ladybug stared at his cap. "Maybe it's how many bells he has on his cape?"

Chat brought his hands up and looked at Ladybug with wide eyes. "Oh! Oh! Ladybug!" he said a little too loudly before he went red and grew quiet again. "I mean, yeah. That was what I was looking for," he glanced up, counting himself. "Seven."

"Perfect, Chat." She smiled at him. She shook her head, she needed to focus on the Akuma. "Um, I think we know what the number is. Is it seven?"

The expectancy of hearing any other number was strong on the Akuma's face, so it transmitted itself into a deadpanned look on the features of the bell-capped villain. "Yes."

"Yes!" she cheered. "Well done, Kitty." She smiled at her partner who she was very proud of now. "So," said, standing defiantly and turning to the villain. "Let the innocents free," she demanded.

The Akuma rolled his eyes and he let the blocks fade into energy that eventually blew away with the wind. A bright light came from the belt of the Akuma and it caused him to smirk as it flashed and made many noises. "Oh-ho! Looks like I've kept the game going just as long as I needed it to!"

"Huh? We won fair and square! You said nothing about the game continuing after we win," she said quickly as she crossed her arms, eyes narrowing.

The Akuma put out his hand. "Oh, my dear Ladybug," he said. "My game is over and you have won. The people here are safe and I have completed the task I was set out to accomplish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take my leave. Until the next time we can play together, Ladybug and Chat Noir," he said, giving his bells a final ringing.

"You're not leaving just yet." She pressed the button on her yo-yo before it transformed into her special disk. Ladybug aimed for his feet and threw the disk.

The Akuma didn't expect to see such a weapon come flying towards him because he had not been told of Ladybug possessing such a weapon. The Akuma wobbled before tumbling off the edge of the Eiffel Tower, just quick enough to grab hold of the edge with his entire body dangling. "Whoa! When did Ladybug get so clever with her choice of weapon?"

Chat smirked devilishly, readying his dart gun. "So, bug-a-boo, where should I pop him?"

The Akuma's voice continued to shake with fear. "This is not a game I'm enjoying!"

"Whatever makes you happiest, Kitten," she said, smirking back at him before catching her disk without any signs of struggling.

"Listen, it's too late for you to do anything about what was planned, heroes!" the Akuma whined.

Chat's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?" he asked quickly.

The Akuma whined some more. "I'm not telling!"

She bit her lip. "Even if whatever you have planned has already been accomplished, I'm sure we can still purify the Akuma, right?" She looked to Chat. "It's probably in his cap."

Chat nodded. "This guy is making himself to be bigger than he really is," he said. "We can purify his Akuma and figure out the rest." In response, the Akuma cackled loudly. "Oh-ho! How are you not worried?"

As she rolled her eyes, she pressed the small button, turning the disk to its normal yo-yo figure. "We don't have to be. We have justice on our side," she shouted.

"And a little bit of luck," Chat wrapped an arm around her bug-a-boo.

Ladybug beamed before flinging her yo-yo to a metal rod. The yo-yo gripped to it as she and Chat went flying up to where their villain was dangling.

Chat gave his baton a twirl before kneeling down close to the Akuma's face. "Oh, yeah, you're also dealing with Ladybug. You'd do well to remember that now even though you didn't do that earlier," he chuckled. "She's amazing and I'm very glad I'm not on the receiving end of her skill."

The Akuma shook it off, "Your words mean nothing to me. Hawkmoth's plan will be carried out," the Akuma said before smirking. "You may already be too late."

"Doubt it. I won't fall for your childish tricks. No more games," she spat out, pulling him back onto the tower and stripping his cap off of his head. She soon tore the bells off the cap and a black butterfly fluttered out. Ladybug didn't think twice about purifying it. Once the job was done, she smiled in relief as the butterfly went off into the night of Paris.

Chat stood aloofly, his baton resting on his shoulder. The once-akumatized person looked up at them from the ground, his head tilted, thoroughly confused. He brought a hand to his head. "What? Ladybug and Chat Noir? What happened?" he asked.

"You were saved by the best," Chat smirked toothily before looking at Ladybug. "What do you think the Akuma meant by us already being late, milady?" he asked, his voice considerably lower in volume.

"I'm not sure. Hawkmoth must know something we don't. Something we have forgotten or left out. But, I'm pretty sure we have most of this situation under control." She crossed her arms. Ladybug reminded herself that they had saved the day and there was no need to feel the worry that she did. "But anyway, I haven't needed to use my lucky charm in a while. That must be a good sign, right?"

"Yeah, just another day at the office. That's good. We haven't run into any high-maintenance situations," he said before turning his head slightly in thought, uneasily rubbing his arms. "I don't know, though, bug-a-boo. My gut isn't taking a liking to it, though. This seemed too easy. And, I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it," he sighed. "How much information about the Miraculouses could he possibly gather from public institutions?"

"Not much. At least, I hope it wouldn't be that simple for him. Hopefully, we can figure out what's up before he puts his plan into action." She looked off at the dark Paris sky.

Chat let his eyes return to Ladybug, soaking up the confidence the resonated with her. How she did it without trying was beyond him but it was surely something to behold, especially from a once-shy, stuttering Marinette back in high school- Well, she'd come a long way, and he was happy to have reconnected with her. She had improved so much since that first day they met. Every day was a testament to the pledge she made before Hawkmoth at the base of this very tower. It was aspiring. It was amazing. Chat rolled his shoulders. "I don't know that there's really anything else we could do right now about it. I'm just worried. What if he knows exactly what he's looking for, but he doesn't know it's hiding where he wouldn't expect?"

Ladybug turned back to him. "Maybe, but don't worry too much, okay? We have this under control for the most part." Her attention went down to the victim, crouching down, she smiled at him. "I'm sure you're ready to get back onto the ground, correct?" she asked as she offered him a hand.

The poor man nodded, taking the hand of Ladybug before getting closer so it would be easier for them to go down. Chat readied his baton to follow them down, "Yeah, for the most part," he repeated to himself before stifling a yawn.

Ladybug held onto him, using her yo-yo to pull the two down onto the safeness of the ground. After she double checked if he was okay, she turned to Chat, a smile beaming on her lips. "Tired, Kitten?" she giggled.

"A little, bug-a-boo," he said, running a hand through his golden-bladed hair as he offered Ladybug a smile in the same fashion. "I don't know why but everything usually doesn't weigh so heavily on me. Right now, though, it's something fierce."

"Well, I guess that's a signal that our work is done," she smiled, looking at the police officers and thanking them for their help. After, she twirled her yo-yo and took off into the Paris night.

Chat looked after her, a soft smile touching his lips as he witnessed the Parisian moonlight dance upon her suit. She was breath-taking to behold- the beautiful Ladybug in all her soft confidence. He shook his head before remembering that he should have been following her. He launched through the air after her, chuckling at himself.

She landed on the balcony, yawning as she stretched her arms. "We did good today. I'm glad we're back in business again," she laughed gently as she watched him head towards the balcony.

He gave his baton a final spin before he de-transformed. "Yeah. It's good. It gives me a purpose again," he admitted, tilting his head before he started to remove a few layers so he'd be more comfortable while he slept.

"Awh, don't be silly! You have way more purpose than being a superhero." She de-transformed as well, heading over to her closet and changing into a comfortable pair of clothes.

"Trying to work towards that, definitely," Adrien sighed before looking over at her and smiling. "Well, if all I am able to do is make you happy, then that is purpose enough for me," he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hey, you have a lot going for you," she said, reaching up and poking his nose. "You're funny, kind, curious, strong, smart. I could go on forever! The point is that you have a purpose. Bigger than you might think." She hugged him tightly, looking up to see his beautiful face.

His smile glowed because of her. "None of that matters. You give me purpose, Marinette," he said. "You give me a reason to be passionate, to be inquisitive, to be strong- if it were just me, well. I'd still be locked up in my father's mansion probably."

"Good thing we are a team," her eyes gleamed. "I believe we are both better together. I'd have it no other way, Adrien," she laughed gently, melting against him. Adrien was the only person on the planet who could bring her his joy. Bringing her heart across the ocean and back in a matter of seconds was something that only Adrien could do.

Marinette was the one person who held his entire world together because he no longer had to sit in a silence with loneliness as his only companion nor interact with people who only wanted to make a profit off of him. No, Marinette was in the business of making him a better person in the most unselfish manner conceivable. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, smiling softly before he pressed his forehead against hers, "Exactly. I wouldn't ask for anything more than just you by my side," he whispered before closing his eyes. "I love you so much, Mari," he said. "I hope those words never sound overused because I mean it every time."

"And I love you," she whispered, eyes closing as she listened to herself speak. "Your words will never grow old. I cherish them every time they come out of your mouth."

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips when she finished, rocking her gently as he held her in his arms. "I've never been happier," he said. "I can't believe that shy girl from high school was only the shell of the wonderful, strong, lovely, and creative woman underneath," he breathed.

"Thanks, Kitten. It took a while, but it feels amazing to have opened up to you," she smiled, almost standing on her toes to return the kiss he left on her lips.

"Hey, I'm honored to be that person you decided to open up to. I really don't deserve your love. And I know it was something I pushed for the longest time," he said before stifling another yawn, "I mean, how shocked do you think people would be if I were to tell them that I get to sleep in the arms of Ladybug."

"Pretty shocked, but don't forget! It's the same thing with you. Either as Adrien or as Chat, I'm sure there is someone who would be honored to be by your side," she beamed, brushing one of Adrien's perfect, golden hairs away from his eyes.

He smiled softly, looking away briefly, "I'm the sidekick in most people's eyes, but that's fine. I don't need hero status," he told her. "I would definitely hope my _purr-suasive_ charm has swayed a few more people, though," he giggled softly, looking back at her.

"It definitely has influenced me," she teased. "Really, though. To me, we are partners," she grabbed his hands, lacing her smooth fingers with his. "Two halves of one whole. No matter what anyone thinks, you're my hero."

He stared deeply into her sapphire eyes, a soft smile on his face as he did so. "And you're mine," he whispered before he kissed her softly. "And nothing will ever change that."

She blushed, his words catching her as if she was falling. Has all this modeling done something to Adrien's sense of romance? God, he was such a romantic and Marinette adored it. Sure, she could come up with some nice things to say to him, but the way he looked at her and how his voice sounded so silky, it drove her insane. Marinette swore he could easily pass any poetry or acting class. She stared at him for a second, slowly losing herself in his eyes. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her blue eyes shut and her lips met his.

He kept her lips attached to his, holding onto Marinette as if he'd float away if he let go. He firmly wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled away to breathe before returning the same careful, considerate, yet passionate kiss. She was the source of his motivation and his affection. She was the instrument of his aspirations and desires. She was the fountain of his happiness. She was Marinette Dupain-Cheng and he didn't want her to be any other way.

Marinette sank into his kiss, loving every moment that his sweet lips touched her's. It was like a fairytale, yet probably not a movie parents would bring their five-year-old kids to watch. Adrien knew just how to make her feel like the only girl in the word. It might have seemed cheesy to some, but to her, she was floating on a path to all her dreams come true. As the kiss became more passionate, Marinette felt like she was drunk. Drunk on him. Drunk on love. Drunk on his love.

Where her drunkenness came in, he felt as if he was satisfying an addiction that plagued his mind at all moments: The addiction to being near her and holding her close was what plagued him. He probably couldn't relate to movies much but... as he told himself before, he was this way because of her. For a while, he relied on Chat's charisma to pull him through these interactions, but finally, he was working his way through as Adrien. As for himself, Marinette was all he needed now to lead him through these feelings. The feeling of being together. He softly kissed her jaw now, smiling as he did so.

Her eyes stayed shut, her brain was so fuzzy that it was hard to tell where he hands were, yet they were at his sides. "Adrien..." she hummed. Yet she was so desperate for his touch, she tried to keep things slow, not begging for the feel of him. His touch sent chills down her spine causing her to feel- The door rang before she could continue her thought. Marinette's mind snapped back into reality, she quickly stiffened, opening her eyes with a nervous smile on her just kissed lips. A moment later, the door swung open.

"Aha! I knew it!"


	10. Caught You! Almost, Anyway

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 10**

Marinette peered over to see what was going on, "Oh! Hey, Alya! Nino! What a time to drop in. Heh? How was the trip? Didn't have too much trouble getting here, did you?" Marinette stammered, scooting away from Adrien as fast as physically possible before rubbing the back of her head. Her face turned a bright pink color. If her face got any hotter, her freckles might have melted off.

"Way to show up, heh, without a forewarning," Adrien followed, nervous laughter accompanying his words. "You're still looking awesome as ever, Nino. That's good."

"Thanks, man. But dude, relax a little. I'm not the reporter and I can already tell you're hiding something," Nino replied.

Alya still looked as pleased as ever. "Exactly! Admit it and I'll let you off the hook for now at least," she said, crossing her arms.

Adrien scratched the top of his head before throwing up his hands in mock surprise, "Well, I'm officially Mari's roommate, thanks to my father, if that's enough to satisfy you," he said. "You guys come straight here?" he wondered. His eyes went to Alya, "It sure seems like you did."

Nino sighed. "Alya heard there was a new Ladybug and Chat sighting, so she dragged me onto an earlier flight, which was way more expensive by the way!"

Alya snorted as she watched her boyfriend complain. "Yeah, yeah, but it was worth it! I got an interview with one of the police officers at the crime scene. He said he was almost killed by these huge blocks, but forget that! Girl, I haven't seen you in ages!" she said, sprinting to the edge of the bed and taking the bluenette into a hug.

"Yeah, that sounds like Alya, alright," Adrien said, tilting his head as he watched Alya capture Marinette. "Don't worry about it though," he said. "I can pay for anything extra you have to go here. But hey, you're back in Paris and that's awesome. I listened to a few of your beats on the radio here actually, so it's probably safe to say that you've got something of a cult following here."

Nino chucked. "Don't worry about it, man. I was joking about the expenses. Sure, they weren't pretty, but I have enough to cover it. My music has really saved my ass."

"In the most uptempo way," Adrien said. "I can't tell you how many parties I've heard blasting your tunes," he laughed, punching his buddy's arm lightly. "Has Alya been giving you a run for your money? She looks just as excited and involved as when she was in high school."

"Ah, Alya sure is something, but it hasn't driven me insane just yet. Alya's still super amazing, which makes it harder to catch up to her talents, but I manage," he shrugged. "But the real question is... When did you hook up with Mari?"

He glanced away, his cheeks showing off the slightest tint of red, before looking off at Marinette. "It's a story alright," he said softly. "And we haven't been like this for very long either, actually, but our history from before had a hand in that, I think." He began to roll his head slightly. "I'm happy, though."

"Good for you, bro," he chuckled, slinging an arm around his best friend. "As long as you're happy, I'm totally cool with it. But if you ever break Mari's heart, I'll probably be on Mari's side, or else Alya will destroy me."

He tensed up as felt as if he swallowed a hard lump. _If you ever break Mari's heart._ He shivered as a bone-chilling fear electrocuted and sent volts up and down the length of his body. Every moment before, this had never been a worry. Hell, it hadn't ever been something he knew about, honestly, because it seemed that she was happy with him and he was happy with her. How could there be any room for something like that? His eyes faltered as he looked away from Marinette. He felt so uneasy suddenly. He tried his best to alleviate the stress by giving a laugh following Nino's. "You don't have anything to worry about," he said. "I take it you and Alya have it off already a while ago, too, huh."

"Yeah, it's been a while," he nodded. "Ever since high school, but we weren't serious until senior year. After that, we became closer than ever. Alya may be a handful, but she does have her perks. I'm kind of a listener, so it's great to hear her stories that she's working on. I have to admit, it's pretty adorable too," he said, rubbing the back of his neck as an embarrassed smile crept on his lips.

"Oh, could it be that Nino is okay with not being the center of attention for once?" Adrien chuckled. "She probably loves you for it. Just remember that the next time she talks your ear off or something. You two work well together, you know," he said. "I take it you guys don't have a place to stay for the night either, huh."

"We do. It's right next to the university! I'm really surprised the hall monitors let us come up here. It's like midnight."

"Oh, really? Then we won't have a problem at all inviting you guys over whenever even though Alya doesn't need one. She is her own invitation. Got a plan on how you're going to pry Alya away long enough to get out of here?" Adrien asked. "She's over there obsessing over Marinette on a level I could only aspire to."

Nino chuckled. "I've got something up my sleeve," he said, before looking behind him at the two girls, "Hey, babe? Did you hear that Ladybug and Chat Noir are visiting our hotel?"

Alya turned to him, crossing her arms. "Ha! Nice try! You know very well that I get notifications about where Ladybug and Chat are when they make a public sighting," she smirked.

"Dammit."

"She gets notifications about these things?" he asked, the surprise pouring off his voice. "Exactly how extensive is your network, Alya?"

"She's too secretive, bro. I just roll with it," Nino stated.

Alya was basically hugging Marinette like she was the only person in the world. "Exactly," she laughed. "But anyway, we better get going. Wouldn't want to interrupt anything else." She smirked in Mari's direction, causing Marinette to blush furiously. A few minutes later, after saying goodbye to their friends, Alya and Nino left, leaving the two young adults alone.

Adrien collapsed and pooled himself into a chair, his whole form lazily positioned. "Oh, boy."

Marinette melted into the blankets of her bed. "Exactly," she mumbled as she buried her face in her pillow.

He sat still in the chair for several minutes, more than he would have liked but he couldn't get himself to move. He had a hand resting on his chin as he stared at the door. Nino's words still screamed in his head and so he couldn't muster enough strength to even look at Marinette right now. He was stressed and it caused him to overthink tiny things.

Marinette looked up from her pillow, her hair slightly messier now. "You okay, Adrien?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

He glanced back at her, showing off a model's smile. "Yeah, I'm good," he said. "Just tired, you know?"

"Okay," she giggled, believing his model smile. "Want to get some sleep, Kitten?" she asked, placing her hands on her cheeks and kicking her feet gently, like what a younger child would do.

His smile eased out before he got up out of the chair and came over to her, climbing into the bed and laying beside her so he was on his side looking at her. "I'd like that," he murmured. "Mari, I love you," he said, which revealed more shakiness than he wished to show.

"Kitty..." she whispered with worry, tugging him close and stroking his hair gently. "What's on your mind?" she asked softly.

"Too much to count," he whispered, smiling sadly at her attempts to comfort him. It wasn't like they weren't working, however. His eyes met her briefly. "It's just something that popped into my head not too long ago has me worried. I'll get over it, I'm sure."

"Awh, Adrien," she whispered, cupping his cheeks gently. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will turn out okay. As long as I'm here, I won't let whatever you're worried about happening." She kissed his forehead gently. "Promise."

"I'm sure you're will," he said to her, gently pressing his lips to her forehead before cuddling up against her. "I know you'd never let anything separate us," he whispered back. "I just hope I can manage to do the same."

"Oh, Kitty," she whispered, hugging him tightly. Marinette hated seeing him in pain like this. Adrien has been through so much, so she knew he could get fragile. She promised herself to do everything in her power to make him feel better about these times of things.

At that moment, he wanted the feeling of her warmth- not sex- just the security that her presence brought to him. There were so many cracks in his foundation, especially with so many things happening at once, and she made him feel strong- feel stable- despite everything. He buried himself into the folds of her arms and closed his eyes, relaxing for a moment before pulling away slightly and smiling at her. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're so welcome," she whispered back to him, kissing his lips gently, yet merely a peck. Marinette pressed her forehead to his, humming a random, yet soft, tune quietly.

"How can you be so perfect," he wondered. "Really, Mari. You are a person free from imperfections. It's amazing." He laughed a little and then tried to match her tune as well, humming along.

"I guess I just have a great teacher," she giggled with him, listening to him. "I bet you're a good singer." She smiled at him, her eyes practically glowing as she gazed at the blonde prince in front of her.

"A man's voice is only as good as the passion behind the words," he murmured. "Could you be suggesting we should giving singing to Akumas to defeat them a try?" He smiled softly. "We'd probably lullaby them to sleep," he said.

She chuckled. "You truly are a poet. But no, I'd rather kick their ass rather than hand them a blanket and a teddy bear." She closed her eyes, imagining how silly the situation would be.

He smirked. "Now that's a philosophy I wouldn't mind getting behind," he told her. "If they want a Ladybug plushy of their own to sleep at night, let them go to Hawkmoth and beg for one- saves us the troubles," he laughed.

"Or they could steal one from your collection, hmm?" she laughed after him. "It is creepy when you think about it. We have dolls made of us! And like... Products with our faces on them! I'm sure that's probably normal for you, but it makes me laugh when I see Ladybug merchandise," she giggled against him.

"Hey, so you're a renowned model in your own right, too. You get the same feeling I get. I've just had to live with it longer. That's all. Besides, there are some little children who cuddle up with Ladybug plushy to protect them from the dark or monsters or something. Adrien Agreste is just a face that teenage girls spend their spare time gawking at."

"There are Chat Noir dolls, too! That means that there are lots of children who have Chat dolls protecting them, not just Ladybug," she chuckled, smiling a proud smile.

He nodded, chuckling a bit before he blushed. "Oh, my goodness. There are probably children out there who have both of us as plushies and play pretend with us."

"Exactly! And don't even get me started on what people have put up on the internet about us," her cheeks went red.

He went purple instead of red. "Ah, it can get questionable at times, can't it? Some of the fan art can be good sometimes. I haven't dabbled into much into fanfiction myself but... do you know how many people cosplay as us?"

"Heh," she smiled nervously. "I've actually changed most of my wallpaper to fan art of us... It's super cute! Well, that depends," she shook her head. "Fanfiction? I've read some... Some are pretty lame and I would never say half the things that were in there, but others were kind of cute. One of them I read was, Um, Let's just say surprising. Mmm, I've seen some pretty good cosplays, too. It's hard to tell the difference between cosplayers and us sometimes and-" her face became bright red. "God, I sound like I'm my own fan," she groaned, burying her face into a nearby pillow.

He rubbed her back softly. "At least we can agree that we will never have a bigger fan than Alya," he said. "That's for sure. I sincerely hope that she hasn't put that writing ability to use in fanfictions either," he laughed before laying his head beside her and kissing her temple. "All those good fanfictions, though... the really intense ones always portray me as being able to do it all right the first time. The level of faith people have in me as Chat Noir is astounding."

"Mmm, I think all the good writers will definitely go somewhere in their lives. Even if they miss a detail or two in our normal selves, they are usually _spot on_ ," she smiled at first, then caught her pun and giggled.

He couldn't contain himself, burying his face into the pillow, "Ha-ha! All the work and you're finally catching on, bug-a-boo," he said. "I love you."

Chat's playful smirk appeared on her face. "Don't you mean c _at-ching_ on?" she laughed, hugging one of the pillows.

" _Paw-lease_ , princess. When did you start getting good at my own game?" he laughed with her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hmm, well, after a few days of fanfiction I've picked up a pun or two," she put the pillow aside, melting into his loving grasp.

"I'm going to have to work hard to keep my _paw-sition_ as the feline king of puns, then," he giggled, kissing the top of her head.

"Sounds _claw-some_ , but you can keep your title, Kitten," she chuckled. "I think I'll stay the eye-rolling girlfriend for now."

"Alright, that's fine, but don't feel like you can put me in that position occasionally. It's nice to hear how much you've learned from me," he smirked before laying his head on the pillow.

"I've learned about more than just puns from you, Adrien," she turned, facing him with a smile on her lips. "But yes, I've learned my basic puns from the best." She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his toned shoulders.

"Hey, I'd never be as good as I am without you to have been there so I'd have the chance to practice them," he told her. "So, you're directly responsible for how great I am at it. And I thank you very much," he said, running a hand through her messy, dark-blue hair.

"Awh, you're such a romantic," she giggled, struggling to keep her eyes opened. Marinette wanted to stay up with him forever, just talking about anything. Their conversations gave her confidence and trust in herself that probably wouldn't have happened if he wasn't in her life.

He gently ran his hand across her cheek as he kissed her forehead. "Sleep, dear. You need it," he said before he started to hum softly.

She soon felt like she was already dreaming. Her eyes slowly shut, but before she fell into a deep sleep she managed to whisper to him, "Okay, Darling."

He smiled softly at her sleeping form before he nestled close to her and let his eyes close as well, he kept his arms around her, even going as far to keep one of her hands in his own as they slept. He didn't ever want to hurt her and he prayed nothing would ever make him.


	11. Macaroons & Meetings

**A/N:** _Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read what I've compiled so far! It's crazy to think that so many people have read over something that seemed so trivial at the time and I hope it'll stay interesting enough for more people to get into. The last few days have been pretty busy for me, so I haven't had a lot of time to edit stuff. This is mainly a filler chapter. You get a lot of Adrientte at least! Again, thanks!_

 **THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 11**

When morning came, Marinette refused to move. Her body told her that she was awake, but her head told her to stay in Adrien's comforting, strong arms, but he shifted slightly, his eyes opening to behold the girl in his hold. He smiled. "'Mornin'," he managed groggily, a lazy smile resting on his lips.

"I demand a recount," she pouted, burying her sleepy face in her fluffy, warm, safe pillow. "Morning is not until I say so,"

"Well, nice to see you're all too eager to boycott," he laughed tiredly. "Sleep well?"

"Mmhmm," she yawned, admitting defeat and sitting up. "I had another dream where we had a family together," she giggled gently.

"You did?" he wondered before stopping and considering it for some time. "That sounds heavenly. You'd be wonderful as a parent," he told her before closing his eyes again. "What a thought. Us having a family together."

"Geez, I've thought about it since high school. I have names for kids, number of kids, age differences, and possible pet ideas already set in the wonderful brain of mine," she rolled her eyes.

He listened in the utmost state of awe, his eyes faltering slightly. "I didn't know you'd put so much thought into it... into us," he told her. "You've figured out a lot more than I ever thought of considering."

She blushed. "Yeah. It started out as just childish fantasies, but then they became dreams that I would have ever so often. Plus, I am organized with most things, so I guess it just comes naturally."

"I know, still, though. That's a lot of forward-thinking I don't think I ever could have done," he told her before kissing her softly. "I hope, though, we'll get to fulfill all those dreams of yours together."

"Me too." She returned his kiss before pulling back and hugging him gently, "Maybe I'll be able to tell you those names someday."

"I'd love to hear 'em. I'm sure every single one of them is beautiful," he assured her. "We've got a lot of work to do before we can get to that point, though, Mari."

"I know, I know," she chuckled, rolling her eyes. "And just so you know, we are not buying a cat!" she confirmed, smirking and crossing her arms.

He laughed at that, "That's probably a good idea because I'll either be best friends with that cat or fight it. It depends on what I think of it," he said.

"Well, I attract a lot of cats, so you would most likely have some competition," she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her nose against his.

He smirked. "Let 'em come! I'll show them that this Ladybug only has time for this kitty!" he chuckled softly before kissed her lips. "Because I love you more than all of them combined."

"I love you, too," she smiled, returning his kiss. "You're the only kitten I'll ever need."

He kissed her again and, after a moment, he laid back down and looked up at the ceiling.

"You've been thinking about something, haven't you?"

"Yeah. Probably something unnecessary but..." he sighed heavily. "Mari, you know I love you more than anything or anyone, right?"

"Awh, Kitten, of course. I know that. You treat me like I'm really a princess," she chuckled gently. "Besides, you've loved me for so long and I've loved you, so I'm sure our love will last forever and ever." She smiled, her hand carefully cupping his cheek.

He nodded, smiling softly back at her. "I'm glad," he said. "That was my goal from the very beginning." He leaned up to kiss her, touching her cheek with a few of his fingers. "I'd never, ever do anything to consciously break your heart, I promise."

"I know, Kitten. I trust you with all my heart," she said in a soft voice, bringing his hand that had touched her cheek up to her lips.

Marinette's eyes slowly shut as her arms stayed firmly around his waist. "I love you," she whispered, a small smile pulling at her lips. She wanted to remind him how much she loved him every second she could.

He kissed her jaw softly now, letting a hand run up and down her back carefully. "Love you, too," he told her before sighing and laying his head on her shoulder.

It was now her turn to play with his hair. Marinette messed around with it until he looked about the same as Chat. She giggled. "Kitten, you're adorable."

"Good. I mean, it's just something that comes naturally, I guess," he said, chuckling. "You're _purr-etty_ _meow-velous_ yourself, bug-a-boo. We should probably get up and get dressed before Alya comes barging in here again."

She groaned. "Yeah, but you'll have to make me get out of bed." She hugged him with a tight grip. "I've demanded this to be my spot I stay in until death."

He laughed and kissed her lips. "You know, I could just make a lot of _paw-ful_ puns that you'll just think are a _cat-astrophe_ and then you'll _meow-ve_ out of bed," he giggled.

"God, how many books of these puns do you have?" she laughed, rolling her eyes and shoving a pillow in his direction.

" _Litter-ally_ hundreds," he continued into the pillow before moving it and capturing her lips again.

She burst into laughter, flicking his forehead, "No puns around Alya or Nino!"

He blew air out of nose before falling back on the pillow, "You can't tell me not to bless the world with my puns," he groaned playfully. "What? Jealous other people might fall for my puns, milady?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," she rolled her eyes, "But I think I'm the only bug out there who could tolerate your humor. But really, Alya knows all about Chat's sense of humor, so she could get suspicious of a certain kitten I know."

He nodded, sighing as he laid back on the bed, "Yeah, and besides if she gets too close, she might just start a blog for our relationship."

"I know!" she laughed. A buzz sounded from the nightstand, causing Marinette to roll over and take up her phone into her hand. A text showed up on the screen.

 _Hey, girl! Bring you and Adrien to the entrance of the hotel we are staying at. Nino and I decided that we should all go to a small café for breakfast! See you!_

Marinette blinked after reading the text, looking up at Adrien. "Alya wants to meet for breakfast." A nervous smile peered on her lips.

"That'd be nice. We've not had a proper date together yet," he said, chuckling softly, "It's sad it takes Alya to get us to spend some time outside of the suit and not in bed."

"Yeah," she shrugged as her head rested against him. "Nino will be there, too."

He put his arm around her briefly, gently hugging her. "Yeah, so we'll both probably be occupied then," he laughed before falling quiet and listening to the stillness of the room, feeling her head against him. The silence was beautiful because there was nothing wrong with it. He liked it because she was there. After a few moments, he glanced at the door, "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

"You're right." She stood up, walking over to a chair where she had left her small bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Marinette looked under her bed for her tiny bug, "Tikki?" she giggled. Tikki flew out from under the bed, almost tackling Marinette's cheek. "Morning!" she cheered before zipping off into her bag.

"Tikki, did you see Plagg in there?" Adrien wondered, trying to peer in under the bed as well.

Tikki's head popped out from the bag. "Yep! He's sleeping like a baby in there," she crossed her little arms, rolling her eyes.

Adrien sighed, getting on the floor to better peer underneath the bed. He could just make out the snoring of a pesky cat kwami. Adrien deadpanned. "Mari, you should be glad I don't snore," he said before waving his hand underneath the bed. "Plagg! C'mon, Plagg! Time to wake up!"

A little groggy voice responded, "No, this pillow is comfy."

"I can easily snip those pillows up. Even faster than I made them, too," Marinette giggled.

Plagg came zipping out of the small portal that was formed by Adrien holding up the edge of the cover. "No! Please! Do not harm the poor, little pillows! I love them! They're almost as lovely as Camembert. You can't hurt something so close to Camembert."

She crossed her arms. "You may be adorable, but I will do it if I have to."

"But, Marinette, they're nice pillows! What kind of monster would tear perfectly good, cozy, soft, cool pillows to shreds? What a jealous Goddess you are, to destroy your own creations on a whim!" Plagg said, flying around in circles about the room before fluttering to the stop and falling over in the air, faint.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for your compliments. Besides, don't you want to go to the café? There is a big possibility that the place will have Camembert," she smirked.

"Oh, really! See? All you had to do was mention Camembert! It wasn't that hard!" He flew over and started tugging on Adrien's sleeve. "C'mon! The cheese won't wait forever!"

Marinette giggled. "Okay, Okay!" She rolled her eyes as she walked out the door. Tikki pulled her bag closed so no one could see her in her little hiding place. As Marinette walked down the hall, she pulled out her phone and shot a quick text to Adrien.

 _There isn't any cheese there._

Plagg slipped into Adrien's jacket pocket and tucked himself away as they walked, Adrien heard his phone buzz and when he saw it, he smiled widely over at her, winking back, laughing.

The way he reacted to her little trick warmed her heart. As she laughed with him, she grabbed his hand. They stayed hand and hand until they left campus. When the left the building, Marinette looked around for the hotel Alya had been talking about. She didn't see it at first, but when she did spot it she smiled, pointing in the direction of the place. "There!" she cheered proudly.

"Of course, Alya would make sure she got the spot closest to us," he said, smiling before stealing her hand to give it a small peck not unlike how she did earlier.

"Spot you say?" She smirked at him as he kissed her hand.

"Aren't the puns the best part, bug-a-boo?" he said, looking ahead at the hotel entrance.

"Sure, sure," she giggled, walking over to the hotel. The hotel looked pretty fancy with its clean look and classy design. It appealed to Marinette's sense of style.

Even to Adrien's forcefully refines tastes, it was a sight to behold. He blinked. Nino had to have made an understatement when they said that money wasn't a problem for them. He glanced upward at the very top, feeling small suddenly.

"Don't fall over, Kitten," she held his hand tight, looking up at the building as he did. "Those two seriously should've told us if they had won the lottery."

He chuckled. "I'm wondering exactly just how popular Nino's music turned out to be," he said.

"Me too, he does have a lot of talent, though. I'm sure he's had to have gotten a hit or two, but Alya could also be the source to this. Some reporter stories become super popular which makes more money for the company which means a raise for the writer of the story," she shrugged. "But that's just my theory."

"And with their powers combined, they're basically richer than my father," he laughed softly before tilting his head and wondering just how close to the truth that statement could have been. He licked his lips nervously before shaking his head. "Let's go meet them. Maybe they'll tell us after a while."

"Okay," she smiled, walking into the lobby of the hotel. As soon as they walked in, Alya rushed over to Marinette, squeezing every bit of life out of her. Marinette returned her embrace, though being slightly suffocated.

"Man, Alya, you look like you're ready to ride off into the horizon with her," Nino chuckled, going over to Nino. "Sorry, bud, looks like we might both be without our girls."

"Seems that way, huh?" Adrien laughed after his friend. "Alya might as well put a _property of Alya_ stamp on Mari's forehead."

Alya stopped chatting with Marinette for a second to glare at the boys. "Watch it, Model Boy and Music Man!"

"Hey, we're watching, alright!" Adrien chuckled. "You don't have to worry about anything there." He gave a wink at the mention of the sudden nickname before rubbing his stomach. "You know, with such distinguished titles like those, we should be treated to a breakfast fit to them. I'm hungry."

"Not going to happen." Alya rolled her eyes as Marinette watched in amusement. Nino laid a hand on Adrien's shoulder. "Don't worry, bro, I got you covered. Alya and I have been making a lot of progress with our jobs, so we have enough to retire on, actually," he said.

Alya looked at Nino in disbelief. "Sure. We may have a lot, but we aren't rich, you know."

"I guess there's still a lot you guys haven't let on to. How successful are you two, exactly?" Adrien asked incredulously before shaking his head. "Regardless, it's your first real day back in Paris. If anyone, we should be treating you guys."

"You know," Marinette chimed in. "I know a place where we can get free treats."

Alya caught on almost instantly, scooping the small baker's daughter back into her arms. "Awh, girl, your parents are the best!"

Adrien blinked. "I completely forgot about your parents, Mari," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Power to them for keeping the bakery for so long! I think we should pay them a visit."

"Sounds perfect! In high school, I used to help around the bakery. In return my parents promised to pay as much of my school expenses as they could," she said, Alya letting her go.

"Well! What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Alya called, walking out of the hotel with Marinette by her side.

"Come on, bro, we have a babysitting job to take care of," Nino joked, following the girls.

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, I don't know how you manage to keep a hold on Alya by yourself, bud," he said. "She's a parade in her own right!"

"Exactly," Nino said as they walked. "But she's probably the best handful I've ever had. She has a fire in her bones, but that girl definitely had a soft side that only I've seen," he winked at him.

"Oh, boy. Exclusive access, huh?" Adrien rolled his eyes before looking away and trying to shake his head at the thought. "Well, definitely, the two of you make an unstoppable team."

"I'm sure you and Mari are just as unstoppable," Nino shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess we are," Adrien mused softly.

The four walked for a while until reaching the familiar home of the Dupain-Chengs'. Marinette opened the door, smiling widely. "Maman! Papa!" she cheered as she ran up to her mother who was running the cash register, hugging her tightly.

Adrien smiled as widely as Marinette at the sight of her greeting her mother. After a moment, that smile soon took on a veil of sadness that Adrien quickly put away. "Hello, Missus Dupain-Cheng! Long time, no see!" he said, waving at her.

"Oh! Hello, sweetheart! What are you kids doing here?" Sabine asked, a surprised, yet happy, look on her face.

"Well, I recently reunited with these three and Alya suggested we get some breakfast this morning, so I thought it would be nice to come here!"

Adrien strolled around the different displays, listening quietly before he looked up. "You wouldn't happen to have any of those tasty macaroons I used to eat all the time when I came by here in high school, do you, Missus Dupain-Cheng? Those would be lovely to have again." he murmured.

"Of course! Here, I'll go get you all some goodies to eat," she said, walking into the storage room where the food that isn't on display is stored.

Marinette sighed, happiness gleaming from her face. She really missed her family. With everyone she loved around her, she felt like she was in the safest place in the world.

"Your mom is really cool, Mari," Nino said.

"Yeah, girl, how are you so lucky?" Alya added.

Marinette's face flushed. "Oh, um, Who knows?" she said as she rubbed her arm shyly. "Follow me! My mom is probably going to bring us something upstairs. Down here is just the bakery, so there is nowhere to sit," she explained, regaining her confidence. The four of them headed up to the next floor. Once they got there, Alya found a comfortable spot on the couch. Nino repeated her steps and sat beside her.

Adrien had a smile resting on his features the entire time. It was heaven, this moment in time. He hadn't realized how much he missed the exciting motivation that Alya brought in her wake or the coolness of Nino's attitude. These three, Marinette, Alya, and Nino, were why he didn't regret fighting his father to go to high school. His eyes flashed downward as he took a seat and tried to focus on Marinette, fighting off the thoughts of his missing father. They were sitting here about to have cookies and Gabriel Agreste was somewhere not safe. He let a sigh shake him before he employed that model's charm and returned to the moment, smiling at them all.

As Marinette sat next to her friends, she noticed Alya searching through her phone. "What are looking at?"

Alya beamed. "New theories about Ladybug! She has been wearing her hair differently in battle, so that has to mean something, right? Also, Ladybug and Chat Noir have been seen with new weapons! They're becoming cooler by the second!" she squealed.

Marinette rolled her eyes, she could easily explain all of this to Alya if it wasn't so top secret. The hair thing wasn't that big of a deal, though, right? Marinette was a fashion designer and needed to change things up a bit every now and then.

Adrien's eyebrow hung high on her forehead now before smiled and shook his head. He would have liked to think that her new hairstyle was because of Chat's doing. He loved the new ways Marinette and Ladybug both kept their hair. He chuckled softly to himself, remembering that little comment on how Alya would remain their biggest fan last night. "Man, Alya, you're like the queen of the world's most obsessive fandom. Really."

"Well, of course! You guys know me well enough!" a confident smile spreading on her lips. Nino watched her, smiling at her every word. "The fanbase has been blowing up again ever since their nice appearances in the city! My blog is booming once again!" she cheered.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. He'd never really considered just how many people expectantly waited to see what kind of things Ladybug and Chat Noir were doing next. Sure, he had reveled in the fame of being a superhero a little bit back in high school but the recognition of the names Ladybug or even Chat Noir were at an all-time high. It was incredible. Sure, Adrien was used to fame and recognition but when it came to the superheroes, it felt like a different level of recognition altogether. He glanced over at it. "Since Queen Alya is back in the stomping ground of her famous blog, does this mean you're going to be doing your own groundwork again?"

"Yeah! My boss told me to come out here and figure out what's going on. She told me I'm free to post info to my blog if I put even more detail into the article I have to write. This will be so easy! I am probably the main source for Ladybug and Chat news!" she chuckled, looking back at her phone screen before checking on how popular her blog was now.

Adrien glanced over to Marinette, putting a hand to his forehead and sighing silently. Oh, boy. If they didn't decide on whether to tell them and when, Alya would be breathing down their necks. Even more so with her so close to where Marinette and Adrien stayed. Evening patrols were going to be trouble. He laughed a bit at himself and the irony of it. They were friends with the one person out of all the world who had the best odds of finding out who they were on her own.

Marinette caught his distress and wrapped her arms around him, trying to make it look casual since their friends were around. As she hugged him, she caught Alya looking at some fan art. Alya realized she had been caught and gazed over at her friend. "What? Come on! Ladynoir art is the best!"

Adrien deadpanned, staring at Alya for several moments before he couldn't contain his laughter and had to turn around, catching his breath, "Sorry, I... I didn't expect that," he assured his friends, wiping his forehead before offering an apologetic look to them, especially Marinette.

Marinette simply rolled her eyes. Alya sure was something, being the queen of their fanbase all.

Alya smirked at the two. "Never heard of Ladynoir? It's the best thing since life itself," she stated, crossing her arms, showing off her pride.

He couldn't contain himself. He tried and tried but, oh... the urge was too great! He very carefully, very softly, under the guise of a single breath, murmured, "Chat would agree."

If Alya and Nino weren't there she would've punched him. God, he was such a dork. Instead of punching the cat, she decided to very lightly flick his head.

"Huh? What did he say?" Alya asked, extremely confused because she hadn't heard him.

"Oh, nothing," Marinette smiled innocently. She had to admit, though. It was cute how he liked the pairing idea.

Maybe because he was the very catalyst for that ship. Honestly, he pressed night and day to find a way to make that a reality and... all it took was Marinette to do it and here the two of them were, joking about it. He only made a minimal noise at the feeling of her flick but after Alya dropped interest just a little, he started to lean into Marinette playfully.

After Alya once again returned to her phone, Nino started asking questions which led them separating from the previous conversation. Marinette took this opportunity to whisper to him, "You're a dork, you know that?"

He crossed his arms playfully, smirking as he only partially glanced at her. "Yeah, but you love me that way, don't you?" he whispered back.

"I'd have you no other way," she giggled. A few seconds later, Sabine came up the stairs with a few plates of goodies in her hands. There were cookies, macaroons, croissants, along with a few other pastries. Marinette carefully unwrapped her arms around Adrien before sitting up and watching her mother place the dishes down on a coffee table in front of them.

"Help yourself!" she smiled a motherly smile.

"Thanks, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!" Nino said as he and Alya looked up from the phone.

Adrien also sat up, going straight for the macaroons. He took a few before flashing his award-winning smile at Sabine. "Definitely, thanks for this!" he said before taking a bite of one the macaroons in his hand.

"You're welcome," she chuckled. "There are drinks in the fridge, so help yourself! Also, Marinette, your father and I will be downstairs working on a special order if you need us," she said.

Marinette reached up and hugged her. "Thanks a bunch, Maman!" she giggled. Sabine left the room, heading down the stairs. After she left, they all started munching on whatever their hands touched first.

"If one thing hasn't changed, it's the way your parents make their macaroons! It's better than any chef my father could have hired to make!"

"I second that," Alya said. "Third it," Nino added, both concentrated on their delicious treats.

"Why, thank you," Marinette said, smirking as she slipped a cookie or two into her bag.

Adrien glanced at Alya. "So, any big ideas for what we should do to celebrate your first day back in Paris?" he asked, looking over at Nino. "I'm pretty sure we could go everywhere without too much of an issue. Want to go the Louvre? Maybe the Luxemburg Gardens? The ice rink?"

Alya laughed. "The ice rink? Do you have a clue about ice skating, Model Boy?"

Marinette tilted her head. "Well, I do. I took a class as a kid. It's not too hard with some simple practice," she shrugged.

Adrien scratched his head. "Well, it was just a thought. I mean..." his voice grew soft. "I've never actually been to the ice rink but I've always wanted to go..."

"I think it'd be fun. I've been to one before and there is always that one skater that's a total professional! But don't worry about being good at it, 'cause I probably suck more than all of you," Nino chuckled.

"Hmm, I do love to be a step ahead of you at things... Okay! Let's do it." Alya smiled.

"After we eat, though!" Marinette said, munching on a cookie.

Adrien smiled at the idea of skating around but realized he was going the complete newbie of the group. Marinette would help him out but he didn't want to subject his other friends to the torture of watching him fail so horribly. He clenched his fists softly. He'd give it his best shot regardless. After a moment, he nibbled on another macaroon.

She could practically sense his stress. Her poor kitten always stressed over something. Marinette leaned into him, slipping her hand into his. Marinette grabbed a macaroon for herself, taking a bite and smiling at the unique taste.

He looked over at her, surprised to have her gently press against him so caring like she was. She could read him like a book and that was what he adored about her. She always knew when something was up and she definitely wasn't afraid to get dirty to figure it out. He smiled softly at her, daring for a few brief moments to rest his head on her shoulder as he finished off his final snacks.


	12. A Dance Over Ice

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 12**

It seemed like the two of them could never get away with a moment of their own, because as Marinette closed her eyes, gently resting her head against his, a flash made her eyes shot open, squeaking in response.

Alya had a smile poking at her lips. "Sorry! You guys are just so cute! I need some Adrienette in my life!" She said, after which Marinette almost choked.

"Alya! Hey!" Adrien whined, his cheeks red. "You're impossible, you know that? Would you like if we were to snap pictures of you and Nino together?"

"Mmm," Alya hummed in thought. "Wouldn't bug me," she shrugged.

Marinette shook it off, slowly wrapping her arms around him once again. She tried not to let Alya phase her. "I'll steal your phone again if you take one more picture!" she pouted.

Alya laughed. "Girl, you steal everyone's phone. Adrien's, Chloé's, and mine. You need to tone it down," she teased.

Adrien blinked for a moment at the mention of his phone being stolen by her and he couldn't recall exactly the incident in which that occurred. Perhaps it was because he was so pre-occupied in high school and he didn't really put so much of his focus towards Marinette as he did now. "You've stolen Chloé's phone?" he wondered. He let the question hang for a moment before smirking. "Awesome job, Mari!" he said, wrapping his own arm around her.

"Thanks," she blushed, rubbing the back of her neck shyly. The memory of when she tried to ask Adrien out came to mind. "Why don't you explain why you look his phone, Mari?" Alya suggested.

"No!" Marinette squeaked.

One of Nino's eyebrows raised. "What exactly happened? How didn't I know about this?"

Adrien kept his arm around her gently, looking at her know. "Admittedly, I'm a little curious now, too," he told her softly. He tilted his head and looked at the others before looking back at her. "I'm not upset or anything."

After taking a deep breath, she started to explain what had happened. "Well, I wanted to ask you to the movies but it was hard for me to talk to you without tripping over my words. So, Alya suggested that I call you over the phone. When I did it went to voicemail, so I left a message and asked you if you would call me back, then I accidentally said some embarrassing things. Anyway, I thought it would be best to steal your phone to delete the message," she finished, an embarrassed smile on her lips.

He looked at her, first surprised by her explanation before smiling warmly at her. Could she be more adorable? Her recounting the past in the way that she did involving her crush on him was stunning. He loved to hear about it. "Ah, I see now," he said softly, keeping his smile light and warm. "You really went to all that trouble? You didn't have to, really," he told her before shaking his head and squeezing his arm around her softly, caught up in just looking at her. "I should show you my shoe-box full of notes to La- You," he said quickly and softly.

"I'd love to see that," she giggled. Thank God, he didn't seem to mind. To her, it was almost the most embarrassing thing she had ever done. She called him hot stuff in that message! Good thing she didn't have to share that detail with him.

Alya chuckled at the scene. "You guys are too cute."

He gave a soft breath of relief that no-one caught his little slip in speech. He smiled at Alya and Nino. "I can safely assure you guys that Mari is the source of everything adorable," he told them.

"Hush!" she laughed, her cheeks turning pink.

Alya stood up. "Your relationship is the source of everything adorable. And, what? You've been dating for like a week? Well, Ladynoir is first in this, but Adrienette comes super close!" She chuckled as she took their plates and placed them in the sink. As she walked back and sat down, Nino threw his arm around her once again.

"You hold Ladynoir in such high standings," he murmured before shaking his head. It took him a moment to realize exactly what her words implied though and he blushed softly. He glanced at Marinette briefly.

"Well, um..." Marinette pushed some of her hair behind her ear, gracing her earrings slightly. "Wait! Stay here! I'll be right back. I have something hilarious to show you guys." She unwrapped herself from Adrien's arms, jumping up and running up to her old room.

Adrien tilted his head, curious. He blinked a few times before shrugging at the others.

Alya and Nino looked as confused as Adrien was. When Marinette came back into the room, she had a pink ballet uniform in her hands. There were silver sparkles on the chest area and a pink skirt under it. "So, I used to compete in skating competitions in grade school when I was younger and I found the outfit I would wear," she giggled.

"Wow, girl, you should totally try it on!" Alya chuckled.

"Oh, come on! It wouldn't fit!"

Adrien blinked at her, surprised at seeing it before smiling at her. "It looks adorable, though," Adrien said, laughing a bit. "I don't think I could imagine you wearing something so pink though."

"I could! Mari, try it on!" Alya cheered.

"Alya! It's not going to fit," the dark-haired girl crossed her arms.

Nino sighed, rolling his eyes. "She's right, Alya."

Alya huffed before getting up and pulling open a door to a nearby room, practically dragging her friend inside. "Too bad!" she called as she shut the door and locked it.

Adrien put on a look of distress as his Marinette was dragged away. He stopped, his arms drooping slightly before he started rolling his shoulders. "I swear, Nino. You've taken up the greatest endeavor anyone could have imagined," he sighed. "Alya is certainly her own powerhouse."

"I like the tough ones," he laughed. "She's so determined about everything she does that she honestly takes care of me."

"Do you have to escape to your room and plug in your headphones to escape," he teased, lightly punching his buddy's arm.

"Oh, of course not. There's no escaping Alya," he rolled his eyes, sitting back into the couch and smiling.

"I'm glad for Marinette, though. She's so sweet and understanding and patient and even witty sometimes. Her creative sense is outstanding and no-one tackles a problem the way she does..." he trailed, staring off.

"Damn, dude, you got it bad," Nino chuckled, returning his light punch in the arm. "You know, you did almost let her date me that one time. If that happened, then you would probably be with Chloé by now!"

Adrien blinked wildly before sticking his hands into his pockets. "That was when everything was chaotic and I didn't want her to feel so bad because I wasn't feeling the same way I feel now," he said, even though it was partially a lie. "I wanted her to be happy, even if I wasn't the one to do that for her. And Chloé? No. I don't think I could ever see myself with her. She was just a friend."

"Glad to hear that," Nino said. "Speaking of Chloé, did you hear that her father is trying to force a marriage with some prince boy?"

Adrien rolled his eyes, getting a bad feeling in his gut. "That sounds like something that would make her happy Besides, if he's rich enough, I'm sure that Chloé won't care as long as she can go shopping as much as she wants on the weekends."

"True that." Nino laughed before stopping as the door opened. Marinette's face was Ladybug red. Her outfit fit her just fine. Sure, the skirt was kind of shorter than it used to be, but it looked cuter that way, at least in Alya's eyes. The costume was snuggly, too, but her superheroine-self made it feel seem natural.

"Ta-da!" Alya smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "Doesn't she just radiate like the sun, boys?"

Adrien stared at Marinette for a few moments before he shook himself free of his daze. He quickly put on an approving smile. "Tell me about it, I'm going to need a pair of sunglasses before I go blind," he said.

Nino laughed. "When did Adrien become such a flirt?"

Marinette rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and letting out a playful sigh. "You'd be surprised," she smiled at her silly cat.

Alya ignored the two and grabbed her friend's shoulders, shaking her lightly. "I dare you to wear this to the rink!"

Marinette blushed. "No way! I just brought it down as a joke!"

Adrien smiled loosely, laughing a bit, too. "Alya, as much I think she's adorable in it, she doesn't have to wear it if she doesn't want to," he said before leaning over to Nino and whispering. "Man, can she be an enabler sometimes."

"Tell me about it," Nino whispered back.

Alya crossed her arms. "Fine! But you better show off your fine-ass moves on the ice."

"Fine, fine, as you wish, Madame," Marinette chuckled a bit, bowing before the reporter. Before Alya could say another word, Marinette escaped into the room, closing and locking the door once more.

Adrien sighed softly, crossing his arms. "I take it you're _Queen Bee_ of the ice rink, too, Alya?" he wondered playfully.

Alya returned to her seat. "Honestly, I will suck more than all of you. Leave the graceful stuff to Marinette."

Nino shrugged, "Fair point. Your girlfriend does seem like a... Hm... Like a cat! Yeah. Some cats are graceful and proper, and others are playful. Mari's like a mixture of both."

Adrien shifted his pressure to one foot, tilting his head in curiosity of this little conversation. "Graceful and proper versus overall playful," he murmured to himself, his mind ultimately going to map these attributes to Chat within a heartbeat. His features twitched slightly. As his friends would say, Marinette embodied more elements of Chat Noir than he consciously noticed. He couldn't help but smirk but at the same time be a little confused. Was Marinette trying to out-play her partner? No, that would be absurd! What would be the likelihood of her even consciously realizing it? Then, Chat Noir was having a more profound effect than she first let on. He giggled to himself, realizing just how deep he was digging into it. "Are you trying to say she's _paws-ibily_ more like Chat Noir than the feline hero himself?" he murmured amidst his giggle.

" _Purr-cisely_ ," Alya smirked.

"Shit, nope! I take it back! Marinette seems more like, uh, a mouse! Yeah, that's a different animal," Nino got out, trying to not start a full-on Ladybug and Chat Noir session.

"Cats eat mice. Are you suggesting Mari will get eaten by Chat? And if so, in what way?" Alya smirked.

"Oh, hell no! Not another one of your weird pairings!" Nino said, lightly slapping his hand to his face.

Adrien went the brightest shade of red imaginable, and for two reasons: One couldn't dismiss the sheer awkward implications that Alya just suggested (even though it may or may not have happened just as she implied but that's stricken from the record as far as Adrien is concerned. Personal romance is hush-hush and follows the 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' rules) and secondly, he'd never reconnected with Marinette had it not been for Chat looking for someone to talk to, so... ultimately, the pairing was very dear to his heart.

"Hmm, what should this one be called? Marichat? Chatte? Marinoir?" Alya crossed her arms.

Marinette heard this and flung the door wide open, rushing out of the once-locked room she used to change in order to take Alya by the arm. "Nope! Nope, nope, nope, nope," she stammered, collecting Alya and dragging her upstairs. "No more ship talk for you!"

Adrien dead-panned before shaking the talk off his shoulders. He blinked a few times, trying to register what just happened.

"Poor, innocent Mari. I bet she heard it all. Damn, I could never imagine her having sex with anyone," Nino laughed a bit.

He felt himself stop breathing at that point.

"I know Alya thinks you two did it, but half the things she says are just theories. I go by facts," Nino continued, shrugging.

He breathed a little now. "Theories, yeah," Adrien asserted, shaking his head slightly.

"Wait," Nino stared at the model, noticing his model friend's lack of breathing. His eyes went wide. "Bro, did you actually...?"

Again, his bright red color returned. "What? Me and Marinette? I mean, ah... I..."

"Woah! You fucked Mari!" Nino shouted before quieting his voice. "Woah... You fucked Mari..." Thankfully, the girls upstairs didn't hear him. "Don't worry, I won't tell Alya."

"God, I hope you don't think... just... it," Adrien tried before sighing. "Thanks, Nino..."

"No worries. I've been in your position before. The awkward conversations will fade soon. I'm sure of it."

Adrien resumed breathing normally. "Really, thank you, Nino. I don't want you to think that we rushed into it, heh, even though we kind of did. We talked about it first, at least."

"Well, at least yours probably wasn't as bad as mine. Alya and I went to my brother's club, right? And well, We tried dancing a lot and she said she would do a shot if I did one and well, it kind of led from there."

"Oh, man... that's not the most romantic way of doing it but..."

"Exactly. Never drink, kid. Even though 18 is the legal age in Paris, I only had like two shots and I had a hangover for three days! Alya took it well, though. That girl is as tough as it gets."

"She's smart, too, of course, she trusts you with her life, probably."

"She trusts me, but if I show one sign of suspicion the questions and theories will explode in my face!" Nino laughed.

Adrien shrugged it off, smiling himself. "That's Alya for you. She holds onto her theories as if they were her children. Marinette is wonderful in the ways that I said and more. I guess we both got gifted with girls who are just the perfect fit for us."

"It's amazing, right? Don't let go of yours and I won't let go of mine, dude." He lightly punched Adrien's shoulder. Alya and Marinette soon skipped down the stairs. Marinette was now wearing a purple jacket that replaced her black one. Alya was borrowing one of Marinette's old scarfs that looked similar to some of the other scarfs Marinette had made in the past years.

Adrien smiled, watching the two girls come down from the upstairs. "Ah, enjoy your moment together, you two?" Adrien teased before standing and stretching. "You look ready to get to the rink, at least."

Nino stood with him before Marinette's eyes widened. "Hold on! I have just the thing for you two!" She raced back upstairs. Nino looked over at Alya who just shrugged in response.

"Mari's full of ideas right now, I guess..." Adrien said, scratching the top of his head, "As I said, she knows exactly what's needed to fix up anything."

Marinette came downstairs seconds later with two navy blue jackets. She blushed, holding the jackets out to the two. "I thought you guys could use something to stay warm."

"Awh, sweet!" Nino chimed, trying to jacket on. "It fits perfectly! Geez, how did you know our sizes?"

Marinette shrugged. "I don't, but I was making clothes for my cousins last year and I had some extra jackets and socks left over, yet socks aren't so important considering you're both wearing socks."

Adrien took the jacket and slipped it over his shoulders as well. "Awh, they're so soft. Stylish, too. I like it!" he said happily, fixing the sleeves.

Marinette couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks! But calm it with the compliments you two," she rolled her eyes, taking Adrien's hand and walking downstairs with the rest of the four. "Maman! I'll be going now! The food was delicious as always!" she shouted toward the kitchen.

"Oh, honey, it's no problem at all!" Sabine smiled. Tom decided to say a few words, too. "Have fun, Sweetheart!"

Adrien glanced over at Marinette. Honestly, he couldn't take his eyes off of her, as she was so happy and caring. The ice rink was going to be an adventure for all of them. He just hoped he wouldn't flop so badly as he was hoping he wasn't going to do.

As they walked Marinette held on tightly to his hand. With Alya around it was hard for her to make much physical contact with him, so this wasn't a chance she could pass up.

"Have you been ice skating before, Mari?" Adrien wondered softly. "I'd expect that you have."

"Lots! I did competitions as it a kid, actually," she blushed, rubbing her arm. "But after skating as a kid, I realized that although skating is nice, designing is the passion I want to keep for days to come!"

"You pretty much excel at everything I've seen you tackle so I'm sure you have nothing to worry about there, Mari. I do love watching you sketch in your book, so anything works for me. Well, regardless, would you like a chance to put all that skating experience to use and help a poor Agreste who has never skated before?" he asked shyly, rubbing her arm in the same manner as she had.

Marinette brightly smiled. "Awh, of course! On the Dupain-Cheng name, I'll try my best to keep you up!"

"Mari, you don't have to go that far," he told her. "I just wanted you to be ready to pick me up off the cold ice... probably a lot... unfortunately..." he said, "Because I'm kind of nervous," he admitted. "And unless I'm somehow a naturally-gifted skier, I'm probably going to be a mess..."

"Don't worry. I've got you covered," she smiled. The four walked into the place, Marinette smiled at the familiar smell of the rink. After paying for their skates, they headed into the rink and sat down on a bench to put them on. Adrien picked out a nice set of dark-green-stripped skates that reminded him of his certain feline alter ego. It took a bit longer for him to get them on properly. They felt so weird to him that it made him walk funny. At least he was able to walk, though. He thought he'd have a better chance if he just stayed on, say, a skateboard and pulled himself around on it. He laughed at himself a little before coming up to the very edge of the ice and blinking a few times. Marinette met him at the edge of the ice, wearing a pair of simple red skates. She had seen Adrien pick out the dark green skates, so she decided to match him in a way, yet she was also matching Alya, who had seen her friend pick out the skates and wanted to match as well.

Marinette stepped onto the ice with ease. "Okay, the first tip: Hold onto the edges of the rink first until you get the hang of it."

Adrien watched her intently when she had come up beside him, listening before nodding. "Alright, that doesn't seem too hard," he said, waddling over to the railing on the edge of the rink and firmly hooking both hands around it. He closed his eyes briefly and took a breath. "What about tackling the ice?"

"Well, you push off with your left foot and put all of your pressure on the right. Then, switch off with every step to keep moving straight. If you need to stop, then it would be best grab the railing or lean forward and keep your toes pointed away from each other. That's how I started out."

"Oh, right. Okay, so..." He placed a single foot on the ice and already felt him swaying crazily but kept a tighter hold on the edge. Once he was steady, he did what she told him to do, keeping low to the ground. The only catch was that he moved at a snail's pace. Marinette giggled as she shifted and turned around, facing him as she skated backward at a slow pace. "Now, keep your balance. Once you start to relax more, it'll be easier."

"Trust me," he started, daring to rise a little bit. "A few more moments and I'll be the fasting cat in town," he giggled to himself, taking this whole new phase of confidence to try and speed up. He had it going well for him at the start but he got a little too ahead of himself and fell over onto his rear. He sat for a few moments, trying to calm down before sighing.

Marinette giggled. "The fastest, huh?" She leaned down, offering her hand before pulling her silly cat back to his feet. "You're doing a lot better than Alya, though." Her gaze went over to Alya and Nino. Nino was doing okay, but Alya was clinging to him for dear life.

Adrien looked over, his head tilted slightly. "Oh, man. She's fun to watch. Nino sure has his hands full, doesn't he?" Standing back up, he had to hold onto her to get back to his feet and didn't bother to let go, either, but softened up his hold on her to a more affectionate touch.

She smiled at him, reaching up and kissing his cheek gently before a small smirk pulled on her lips. "Want to watch me do something, Kitten?"

"Oh?" he murmured curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

"Stay here," she smiled, letting go of him slow enough that he didn't fall. Marinette sped over to a spot where there were fewer people. She skidded off, and once she built up enough speed, she twirled into the air with a double axel, landing on one leg as she skated back to him.

Adrien blinked, his mouth hanging over. "That was amazing, Mari! Geez! You probably won every single competition you went to.

"Thanks," she blushed, "But, unfortunately, I only won one competition. Chloé took an interest in it and her dad forced the judges to give her good scores. Since the skating wasn't as important anymore to the judges, I started paying attention to all the outfits the girls would wear. The designs were always so pretty, so I started drawing them, which led to me making my own."

"Why does it always have to come to Chloé ruining it? She's taken so much away from you that's rightfully yours."

She beamed, taking a hold of his hand. "Hey, I still won in the end. I don't need awards and fame to be happy. All I need is my friends for my happiness."

He beamed with gladness, squeezing her hand. "Mari, remember when I said you were literal perfection?" he giggled, sliding over closer to her and wrapping his arms around her. "You win every award in my book," he said.

"Awh, you're too sweet," she smiled, wanting to melt against him, but placed a kiss on his nose instead to make sure his balance didn't get knocked off. "Besides, Chloé tried to take away my designing skills once and failed, so I won't let her take anything else."

"Chloé was always the villain and I never really realized it back in high school," he sighed. "All the torture you had to go through when you were around her." He squeezed her hand, before trying to skate slowly with her. "Well, aren't you glad that you don't have to worry about her anymore."

She guided him slowly and carefully across the ice. "Mmhmm, I feel free and more in control of where my life goes. It gives me more confidence in helping others, too."

"You could easily be a miracle worker, Mari. Whatever is in your heart, I'll do anything I can to make it a reality," he whispered, closing his eyes and feeling the cool air blow around them as they skated together.

Even if the air was freezing, her heart was on fire. Every moment with him felt like a scene from a movie. She had lived in Paris for so long and had always ignored "the city of love" title, but now she knew it had to be true. "Thank you, Adrien. I'm so thankful that I have you here by my side. I thought college was going to be lonely, but then you came along and everything got brighter."

"Oh, slow down, Mari, don't make me the hero of this story. None of this would have been possible if you hadn't fed a particular kitten a cookie that night," he laughed softly, coming to hold her and spin in small circles with her. By some divine power, he didn't even need to focus on his skating. He just focused on her and everything else fell into place. Marinette rolled her eyes, she knew she could easily take over and guide him, but he wanted his moment, so she let him have it. "Okay, Kitty, just remember what I said, though!" she said.

"Alright, but new life rule," he giggled. "Cookies create companions!" he told her before glancing over to look at Nino and Alya.

"Got it," she laughed before looking over at the couple, too. Nino and Alya were skating pretty slowly, but they seemed to enjoy it. Nino had started talking about his older brother's club to Alya and she seemed to be excited because Alya liked to dance. Alya took dance classes in grade school like Marinette did with ice skating, so they both had their childhood hobbies.

"This was a great idea," he told her. "I've enjoyed every moment of it."

"Me too," she giggled, holding his hands. The two skated for a while longer after that. Marinette gave him little tips and tricks here and there while also showing him a few tricks that she knew how to do, loving that she had someone to watch her and find enjoyment in her little hobby. They eventually met up with Nino and Alya before catching up a little bit on what was going on in their lives. The out-of-costume superheroes learned that Nino got signed to a record company. His job was to make any kind of music that he thought would sell the best, and his music was selling pretty well. He wasn't really a famous musician, but he did make good money. Plus, he sometimes worked at his brother's club as the DJ for a night or two, depending on how long they were in town. After talking about his new career, the four escaped the rink and returned their skates. When Marinette returned hers, she felt like she was gonna fall over. The world seemed so tiny now! Well, it always had when she was next to Adrien, but now it was even smaller in a way.

Adrien took notice of her condition and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, smiling all the while. What a day it had been! They had the opportunity to catch up with their friends and do something that he'd never done before. He was especially grateful Marinette had sacrificed a lot of her time which she could have spent skating alone to help him instead. Truly, she was amazing. Hearing about Nino on the road to be the awesome music-maker he always boasted about while Adrien sat next to him in high school was finally actually eye-opening in a sense. Hearing about how all his friends were pursuing their dream careers with a burning passion that didn't show any signs of going out opened up a little hole in Adrien's heart, though. He never really thought about careers or hobbies the same way that all his friends did in high school because he was always his father's puppet: modeling, photo-shoots, advertising, fencing, Chinese. They were all great things on their own but none of them really sparked a fire in his soul like fashion did for Mari, or music for Nino, or journalism for Alya. Adrien had nothing to fall back on except a few odds-and-ends. There was nothing substantial for him and it pained him.

"Thanks," she smiled at him, snapping back into the sense of reality. The world felt steady once again, so she sat down on a bench and put her pink shoes back on.

Alya and Nino walked over to the couple. "Hey, we should be going, but I had fun today! Thanks for having us, Girl," Alya told her, smiling at her best friend.

"Yeah, thanks Mari, Adrien," Nino agreed.

Marinette smiled at the two, "No, thank you!" she giggled. "By the way, I don't think we can do anything tomorrow because I have class, plus, I have a doctor appointment," she blushed,

"Hey, Nino," Adrien said, crossing his arms playfully. "I'll be expecting a copy of your next album so I'll have something to listen to!"

"Count on it, Bro!" he laughed as well.

Alya looked to Marinette. "Damn, Girl, that sucks. At least it's not the dentist. I don't want anyone's fingers near my mouth," she chuckled, rolling her eyes. After a little talk, Nino fist bumped with his friend and the couple left the rink.


	13. A Burning Hatred for Art

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 13**

Alya and Nino didn't waste a lot of time hanging around the ski rink after their day with their friends came to a close. Naturally, Marinette and Adrien praised the fact that they could take things a lot slower and treasure the time they could spend together in the aftermath of being with their energized friends. The two of them came off the ski rink in shambles. Adrien, especially, collapsed onto a bench and spent a while recovering the strength to even stand up. Marinette came not too long after him and sat down on the other end, rubbing a caring hand along Adrien's side, smiling at how hard her kitty worked at getting better.

Once they decided they had enough strength to get home, Marinette picked up her pink bag, looking inside to check if Tikki was doing okay. The temperature inside the rink caused Marinette to shiver every so often, so it was natural to be concerned for the little Kwami's health.

Adrien, following behind her, took notice and did the same for Plagg, peeking into his coat pocket. Plagg snored softly inside, his little paws curled up around his torso like the little cat he was. Adrien smiled before glancing over at Marinette. "How is Tikki?"

"She seems good!" she looked up at his face, letting the giggle coming from her bag convince him of such. Marinette dropped her face and smiled at the little bug. "Stay warm, okay?"

Tikki beamed. "Yes, Marinette!"

Marinette closed her bag and sighed. "Well, ready to head home, Kitten?"

"My legs feel like jelly," he said, smiling tiredly back at her. "That was awesome, though. Thank you so much for helping me."

"Of course! I had a lot of fun, too" she giggled, holding his hand as they walked away from the place. "It was nice having a day with our friends."

"Yeah, it's not something we've had for a while. It was refreshing and they look so happy together, which is even better," he said, rubbing the back of his head for a moment. "I just don't know how to lead them onto the whole Miraculous ordeal..."

"Me neither..." she sighed. "My hope is that Alya won't tell anyone if we ever tell our secret to her."

"The worst she could do is post about it on the Ladyblog," he said, before striking a pose, not unlike one their reporter friend would take up. "What's up, Ladybloggers! Boy, do I have the story for you! I just landed the biggest hit since our favorite heroes returning to Paris! I'm one of them! Prepare for the greatest inside scoops the world has ever seen'"

Marinette laughed. "That sounds about right! Geez, I better try to talk Alya out of the whole 'who is Ladybug and Chat Noir' thing." Marinette took Adrien into an empty alleyway, opening her bag to let Tikki fly out. A soft smile pulled on her face. "Before we go home, how about we stop at the Eiffel Tower?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Does a certain Ladybug have plans for an evening patrol?" he asked, opening one side of his jacket to peer in at the sleeping kwami. He lightly tapped the small cat's head, waking him up and causing him to peer out with one eye at his wielder.

She smirked as she transformed into her alter ego in a flash of red. "Possibly. Race you, Kitty" he told him, winking in his direction before taking off.

A quick flash of light enveloped the model before cat ears adorned the top of his head. He soon displayed his stylish leather suit. He smirked, a hand on his hip before vaulted in her direction. "You always think you can beat me," he teased playfully. "This cat is fast on his paws, you know!"

"That's something you'll have to prove to me," she teased back, swinging to the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug flipped onto the top part of the tower, landing on her feet with perfect posture.

He landed close beside her, scoffing playfully. "Show off," he murmured, relaxing his stance and resting his baton on his shoulder, his weight shifting to one leg. "So, what's on your mind? Why come here?"

She sat down, looking out at the breath-taking city. The wind blew gently through Ladybug's hair. "Well, we haven't had a moment to relax in our superhero costumes ever since Hawkmoth came back. Plus, I missed seeing Paris' beauty from this angle."

He sat down beside her, one arm hanging off his raised up knee as he stared at the city they protected. "Yeah, it's a pretty great city, I'll give it that," he said before glancing over at her. "These moments, where we just sat here together and stared out over everything, were my favorite. High school didn't matter. My father didn't matter. Adrien Agreste didn't matter. It was just us, Ladybug and Chat Noir, together, even if at the time you just brushed every flirt I tried."

"You know," she whispered as she glanced at him. "I was always confused as to whether or not your flirts were just another one of your jokes. I was too afraid to find out for myself because one, it would be embarrassing to ask and hear you tell me they were jokes, and two, I was too distracted by your civilian self to notice."

"Sure, some of them were teases, I suppose. I mean, after hearing you dismiss them so many times, I started to slowly falter in my hopes that you'd see them as genuine but at times like these, when we weren't under any immediate pressure and it was just us, I tried... I tried and tried and tried and I had no idea I was competing against myself and losing horribly. Sometimes, I thought you never returned my feelings because you didn't trust me. It broke my hearts some nights," he murmured softly.

"Chat," she whispered, placing her hand over his. "I trusted you more than anyone. We fought many tough battles and, over that period, a bond formed between us that I didn't realize at first. We were a team that Adrien and Marinette weren't at the time. And now, looking back, I was too young to understand the greatness I had in front of me. The reason I fell for Adrien was that he, or you rather, showed me compassion and pure kindness that I had never seen before. Chat showed me love and determination. When I grew up and went to college, I was alone. That loneliness made me think about you. This you," she said, pressing a finger to her partner's chest. "I started falling for both sides of you but didn't know why. I felt that if I gave up on one, I would feel guilty about leaving the other for the rest of my life. I'm sorry about the pain I've caused you for so many years," she murmured as her forehead rested upon his shoulder.

He sighed softly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "No, you've got nothing to apologize for," he said softly. "It was selfish of me to keep trying even after you started letting on that your heart was with someone else, even if that person turned out to be me in the end. It was unfair and cold of me to want you so badly- and, I think when you started hinting that you liked someone else, that made me even more desperate for you to recognize me. If I was the partner I should have been, I should have taken the hint then and stopped altogether but I was so certain- from the day I met you, Ladybug- that I would win your heart. Everything was ultimately pointed to winning your heart. You were my motivation, my passion, and my fire. It was my fault for feeling that way but the thought of you being with someone else- that... that hurt because it made me think I wasn't a good enough partner for the likes of Ladybug. I felt like I failed."

Her arms wrapped around him tightly. "Oh, Chat. You don't ever have to feel like that again. I won't let it happen. Things will be easier now that we know who we are."

"Yeah, I know... but if Adrien had been any other person; If he hadn't been Chat," he trailed before shaking his head assertively. "No, I'll not get hung up on any 'what if' scenarios. They're not helping anything," he said before snuggling against her. "Ladybug..."

"Chat, know that I would've fallen for you in the end. Whoever you would be. Our souls have a connection that I don't quite understand yet but in my heart, I know if we didn't have the masks, we would've still found each other. I love all of you. Every bit. And you can flirt with me and make silly puns, but even if I roll my eyes, I'll still love you with every fiber my body contains," she whispered against him.

He shivered with happiness in her grasp, pressing up against her and fighting back a few loose tears. "Perfection," he murmured. "That's what you are. You're the light of my life, bug-a-boo, and I'd never let anything change that. Even if I break every other promise I ever make, I'd rather die than break that one."

Ladybug placed a simple, yet loving kiss to his lips, closing her eyes briefly as she did so. "I know, Kitty," she said, glancing up at his softened features. "I trust you on that."

He brushed a few slender fingers through her beautiful, dark hair, smiling back at her, before wrapping her tightly in his arms and laying his head on her shoulder, "You've made me so happy," he whispered.

Ladybug did the same, laying her head on his warm shoulder. "You've done the same for me, Kitty. I love _mew_ ," she said.

He gave a soft giggle at her sly, little pun before kissing the top of her head. "I love you _meow-re_ , silly bug-a-boo."

"Thanks, Kitten, but I'm sure we could debate over who loves who more and never get an answer because it's absolutely equal."

Chat nodded, laughing at the fact. He stared off into the distance silently for a few moments before his eyes narrowed slightly. "Hey, there's a pretty bright light over there," he mused absent-mindedly. "It kind of flickers."

Her eyes went wide as she looked up at him. "Do you think it's dangerous?"

He blinked a few times before he looked at her. "I don't know. Do I have a knack for catching onto dangerous things?"

"I'm not sure. Do you have any weird feelings about it? Like a nervous feeling? Or maybe a scared feeling?" she asked, tilting her head.

He stirred uneasily. He tried to focus on it now. "It caught my interest so it should be something, right? Like the last time I saw a light."

She stood up, clenching her fist as she looked down at the cat. "Well, let's go check it out," she said, a determined look on her face as she began to swing across the buildings of Paris.

Adrien wasted no time jumping to his feet and vaulting after her. He put in some work to catch up to his partner, and soon enough, the two of them skipped across the various buildings in between them and the scene that had drawn their attention. As they would get closer, Ladybug realized what caused the light they saw. The air would start to take on a burnt smell and grow warmer. If that wasn't evidenced enough, the two heroes stood before a house engulfed in flames. Billowing clouds of smoke launched into the air. Ladybug sucked in a desperate breath. "It hasn't made it to the base of the house yet but the top floor looks like It could fall over at any moment," Ladybug said. "We need to see if someone is still inside! You try to get everyone out on the lower floors and I'll check to see if anyone is still inside where the fire is."

Chat Noir nodded and waved her off. She launched herself into the floor where the flames had set. The top floor was made up of several small rooms, two of them being bedrooms and the rest being rooms that seemed to hold dozens of books and art pieces. Many of them were already melted and distorted from the heat. Ladybug strained to take in every sound she could, hoping to capture the sound of anyone in danger and it paid off, as she heard the sounds of an old man coughing and calling for help down the hall. In her path were fallen, burning beams, but she vaulted over them, doing her best to avoid using her hands in fear of burning them.

She came upon a series of rooms at the end of the hallway. The waves of smoke coming out of one of the rooms forced her to raise her arm up to keep it from getting to her eyes. It didn't stop her from coughing hard. Her breaths cycled uneasily, but she mustered up the courage and strength to call out. "Hello? Is anyone in here? I'm here to help you!"

The old man called back and Ladybug felt a rush of relief flood over her. "Stay away from the door. I'll get you out." She pressed the button on her yo-yo before it transformed into her disk. Once her disk was in her grasp, she lifted it up and smashed it down hard onto the door handle causing the door handle to fly off. Ladybug returned the weapon back to its normal form by pressing the black button, then she kicked down the door.

The old man had a noticeable, finely-groomed beard, but it was hard to see any other features in the poorly-lit top floor. He coughed heavily. "Ladybug!" the man exclaimed, coming over to her. "Thank the heavens! I was afraid I'd been cooked like a marshmallow! Very unpleasant."

"I can get you out of here, but is there anyone else in the building? Or any pets? Maybe something important to you that I could save once you're safe?" she asked quickly.

"No, no. It's too late. All the art here is worthless now... thousands of dollars lost," he groaned. "My wife! She was downstairs! You need to save her!"

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "Chat Noir is handling the lower levels. Right now, we need to get you out of here." Ladybug picked up the man, trying to be gentle. She swung out of the room through an opened window. Once they landed, Ladybug set him down on the safe ground.

Soon, Chat followed after, bringing the wife out, who had been crying as she feared the loss of her dear husband. They reunited, and embraced each other before looking upon the burning house. Chat came over, expressionless. "Ladybug, this couldn't have been a freak accident."

She bit her lip. "I know. This must be Hawkmoth's doing. He's got to be looking for something. It probably has something to do with the art and books."

"What strikes me is that he actually went to the trouble of destroying as much as he could. That's not like him," he told her. "His signature is here, though." He held up the metal, butterfly brooch he found on the floor. "I guess we could ask the couple but I think it's a little early for that, given what happened," he said, turning and looking at the firetrucks that rushed up to the scene.

"Yeah," she sighed. "After the fire is put out, we should investigate the house."

He nodded. "We should, but it might be better to wait until morning. We should probably get out of the fire crew's way for now. I'm still puzzled by how violent this turned out to be."

"Yes, it's violent, but it means we have lives placed in our hands now. With age, comes responsibility."

He rolled his head before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "We've saved people, at least. There's not much more I can think of doing until-" He blinked a few times. "Do you have school tomorrow? I don't start until next week, I think. Oh, boy, I'm going to have to get used to going to classes again. It's high school all over again. A huge period of tutors and now I have to stick out like a sore thumb because I'm Adrien freaking Agreste."

"I can show you around the school a little more. It's going to be tough with the whole model reputation. Your older age must have made you even more popular, too. Hopefully, you'll have a class or two with me? I could help you get used to things if you did."

"I hope I have classes with you. I'll go mad, I think, If I don't see you at least once during the day," he said. "Also, I think it'll be a big advantage to see the school. Especially because I'll be expected to run around a lot more."

"Mmhmm. I'm going to be pretty busy tomorrow, so keep a close eye on things, okay?"

He put a thumb up to her. "You got it, bug-a-boo," he said, "I'll do some investigation of my own at some point tomorrow and then catch you up to speed when you're done with school."

"Right." Ladybug said before turning to the couple. "Check in with the firemen. They will help you from here." She offered a kind smile, pulling out her weapon and swinging away from the burnt building.

The couple cheered their thanks after Ladybug and Chat Noir as they launched out of sight. When they got to the dorm, Chat was all too eager to de-transform, doing so and falling back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Ladybug landed and transformed back to Marinette. She yawned, taking off a layer or two before melted onto the bed beside him.

He made a few tired noises before curling up against her. "Man, what a day, huh?" he laughed groggily.

"Mmm," she hummed, her eyes barely opened. "For the most part. It was really good but it needs a better ending, though."

"Just think about it as the thrilling end of another page in our story," he smiled thoughtfully before leaning over and pressing his lips against hers ever so softly.

Marinette leaned into him, letting herself shut her eyes as she finished his kiss. "That's a good way of thinking about it," she murmured as she pulled away from his lips just a bit to speak.

"Yeah. This is no way the end. We've got this," he said softly.

"I have hope. I still have concerns about most things, though," she whispered. Her eyes led down to his hands and gently held them in her own.

"Of course, and so do I. Let's just take it one step at a time," he told her before bringing one of her hands up and kissing the back of it. "Love you."

"I love you, too, Kitten," she murmured, watching him kiss her hands. Marinette went closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him. The proximity and warmth to the one she loved made it hard to keep her eyes from shutting. Adrien draped an arm across the length of her body and dozed off just the same. They remained there until the morning, uninterrupted.


	14. Sharing Breakfast

**THAT WHICH CANNOT BE BROKEN**

 **Chapter 14**

The next morning, Marinette slept until the sun bled through the balcony and fell upon her face. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and making a small noise in the middle of stretching before she looked down at her partner. She saw the peaceful rise and fall of his chest and relaxed features, deciding that he deserved the softest kiss on his lips with a smile. His dormant mind responded to the act with a soft noise, his lips curving upward happily but still in a groggy manner. Several moments later and the blue eyes of the model opened up to her and he took a moment to look at her, the smile on his face only growing.

"Good morning," she whispered as she pulled away from him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She sat up a little more to stretch out her arms.

"Morning," he said, sitting up with her and wrapping his arms around her. "Gosh, I slept like a rock with you there, Mari. I loved it."

"I'm glad to know I'm doing a good job," she chuckled, returning his embrace for a moment before leaning forward so she could take the bands off of her pigtails and let her hair flow freely. She set them on the nightstand and looked around for her phone. "Hey, Kitten, what time is it? I need to get ready at 7:30 AM for school."

"So, early?" he murmured before scanning the floor around for his jacket. He leaned over the edge of the bed and fumbled his phone out of the front pocket. "Ah... you've got just half an hour," he told her, climbing back up onto the bed and returning to sitting beside her.

"Thanks," she yawned, pulling him close and pressing against him. "We could do two things: Go get some hot chocolate at the university café or lay here in each other's arms until I have to get up."

"Ooh, hot chocolate does sound good," he mused softly. "We could also walk around the university and I could look around too, but man. I think you're sweeter than hot chocolate, though and being in your arms is heavenly," he murmured, conflicted.

"Hmm, well, since you were so good at that guessing game we played a few days ago, give me a number between one and ten," she mumbled sweetly.

He blinked a few times at her."Oh, boy, uh... two," he offered, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, two is good."

"Hot chocolate it is!" she giggled, hopping off the bed and heading to her closet. She flipped through the options she had. She found the perfect choice of a pink sweater with a white blouse to go underneath and a pair of dark-colored jeans.

Adrien got up after her, although considerably slower than her. Once on his feet, he stretched before looking down at his pile of clothing and sighing. "You're gonna probably need to sew me a whole new outfit," he murmured. "I guess I'll try to run by the mansion while you're at school today."

"Sounds like a plan," she said to him, pulling the blouse over her head and adding the sweater right after it. She pulled the collar out so that it was now visible on her neck. As she finished off her look by pulling her jeans up to her hips, she tucked in the blouse, so the collar was the only part of it to be seen.

He hurried through the process of slipping on his own clothing now. God, he looked like a mess wearing three-day-old clothes. He'd stick out like a sore thumb and make her look bad. Never mind that he was a model, she was the one who deserved the spotlight."God, why aren't you a model?"

Marinette laughed, picking up one of her cat pillows and throwing it in his direction. "Oh, hush! I'm a fashion designer. It's kinda my job to make and wear pretty things." Marinette took up her pink brush and started to brush out her hair. Her hair was tough to work with after a night like the one she had.

Adrien wandered over and stood beside her, his arms crossed lightly. "So, I get it now. I'm only half as perfect as you," he said. "And, you know. I'm fine with that. After hearing from people about just how absolutely to-die-for I am for so long, I'm happy I can finally tell someone that they're honestly more beautiful than I am," he told her, leaning against her shoulder gently.

"Awh, Kitty," she murmured, warmed by his little speech. "But remember, no one has recognized me yet. You're still the famous model with the new aged-up looks," she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I know, and it's certainly going to be something that'll come up when I start actually going to classes," he said before smirking. "I promise you have nothing to worry about though, this model only really poses for one girl in particular now."

"Wow, I bet she gets quite the treatment, huh?" she drowned, flicking him in the nose, matching his smirk before turning away from him to put her hair up in a messy bun.

"Yeah, a treatment even you'd be jealous of," he cackled, rubbing his nose. "Do you think that since Alya and Nino have moved back here, they'd be going to the university now, too?" he wondered.

"Hmm, I don't know. Alya went here a few years but left when she got a huge job offer. She never really finished college, but I'm not sure if finishing her masters would help out in her career or not. I mean, she's practically a genius at it already," she shrugged, picking up her bag.

"Please. No-one, and I mean no-one, can publicize a story like her. The Ladyblog could probably be considered her college," he laughed. "Have you seen it, lately? I've wanted to but my laptop is at my house."

"Mmhmm! She posted about the fire that happened yesterday," she told him. "There were a few pictures of us in action, but I guess she couldn't find us before we left."

"Oh, boy. What happens when she starts showing up to these things before we get there?"

"Well, I guess that'll be a plus if she gets a Miraculous of her own," she chuckled.

He pinched the bridge of her nose. "That'll be something, alright. A plus? I'm not sure," he said. "I'm still turning around in my head how we should ask them. They just got here. Should we wait to tell them? And then, how long should we wait?"

She crossed her arms in thought. "Well, not unless things get serious with Hawkmoth, of course, but hopefully not too soon."

"Things are already looking pretty grim if he's committing arson out of frustration."

"Yeah," she sighed, walking over to the edge of her bed and knocking on the bed frame, causing Tikki to fly out.

The little bug flew up in front of Marinette without hesitance. "Morning!" she giggled, beaming a little smile.

"Awh, Tikki, you're so awesome. You must be an incredible partner kwami with all that enthusiasm. It can take hours to get Plagg to do something on the weekends. Especially if he indulged on Camembert the night before."

"Thank you, Adrien!" she said, her giggling continued. "But Plagg has his perks too! Sure, he can be a pest, but all the Kwami's have their ups and downs!"

"Yeah, but Plagg certainly isn't very eager usually to show it off," he said.

A small voice came from under the bed, "That's because you're too busy to notice them."

Adrien crossed his arms and rolled his eyes before looking at Tikki thoughtfully. "You seem to know quite a lot about the other kwamis, Tikki. Any suggestions for who would best pair up with Alya and Nino?"

"Hm, well, Alya seems pretty energetic to me, so I would say Trixx! She's the fox kwami! Trixx is super energetic and rebellious, too. But, um, I'm not so sure about Nino," the little fairy shrugged.

"It's fine, I'm sure we'll get the chance to figure out something for Nino when the time comes," he said. "Oh, boy. I just can't stop thinking about what their reactions will be to the whole thing. Especially us being the superheroes we are."

"They will be thrilled!" Tikki cheered, throwing her little arms into the air.

"I sure hope so," Marinette laughed. Once things got a little quieter, she looked under the bed. "Plagg? I'll pick you up some cheese after school if you come out and say hi!"

A moment of silence later, Plagg's little head peeked out from the edge of under the bed, a smile on his little mouth. "Awh, Adrien, why don't you take care of me like she does? Comfy pillows? Cheese? I must be at a hotel or something," the cat mewed before flying out and spinning around Marinette.

Adrien sighed, tightening his arms around himself. "I guess you don't remember high school very well," he murmured.

Marinette laughe. "Oh, come on! Adrien is great! Give him some credit, little kitten. He did take care of you all those years," she told him, rubbing the little cat's head with her index finger.

Plagg sighed loosely, glancing over at his wielder. "Well, I guess he's pretty good," he mused. "Sometimes, at least."

Adrien let his mouth drop. The mini-Chat smirked before zipping over and landing on Adrien's head. "His hair is pretty soft, I guess. It's like your pillows," he decided.

"See what I mean! Plagg can be sweet, too!" Tikki smiled at the little cat.

"So, what do you think of Tikki, Plagg?" Marinette wondered out loud as she glanced over at Adrien.

Adrien glanced over at Mari, only having vague suspicions about what she was after. Plagg zipped away from Adrien's head and hovered in front of Marinette. "She's a pretty reliable kwami, Mari. Why do you need me to remind you of that?" he wondered. "Tikki and I are the kwamis of the two most powerful Miraculouses known to Master Fuu. I kind of have to think highly of her. What am I looking for? Oh, mutual respect, yeah, that," Plagg explained, his words coming off as matter-of-fact, business-like almost. Although, they hid a sense of him trying to contain a topic Marinette was trying to get at. Plagg was oh, so wary but not sure if it was just the way Marinette had asked.

"Yeah, sure, that stuff is great, but what about besides the powers? Like her personality, perhaps?" she hummed, visibly amused, leading Tikki tp look at Adrien, then at Plagg.

Plagg's little mouth twitched upwards in thought. "Please, if I started complimenting Tikki out of the blue, she'd think I was after something," he mused. His eyes, however, betrayed the slightest touch of hurt at such a fact. "She's nice to work with, yes. Sensible."

"Oh? I'm sure she knows that cheese is your number one, little kitten," Marinette winked at Plagg, standing up to sling her school bag around her head and through her arm. "We should get going. School starts in an hour!" she told them.

Plagg shrugged it off, even more curious of what her motives were. He glanced over at his companion kwami with a pointed look before noticing Adrien waving him over. "Hey, she's right. We've got plans, little buddy."

Tikki looked up from the girl's bag. "Come on, Plagg!" she giggled, getting comfy in the bag and hiding her face from being seen.

Plagg flew back and forth, torn between his wielder and the chance to ride along with Tikki, which certainly was intriguing. He looked at Adrien with the saddest kitten face he could muster. Adrien waved him off, and Plagg lit up, zipping off after his kwami partner. He slipped into the bag, smirking a Chat's smirk. "Miss me?" he chuckled. "I've never ridden in Marinette's bag before... how is it? Comfy like her pillows?"

"Mmhmm!" Tikki giggled. "She even left me a leftover piece of fabric from one of her projects!"

Marinette looked down at the bag. "Just remember you two, don't let anyone hear you!" she sighed, smiling down at her bag then at her own partner, earning a reassuring response from Tikki. Plagg, on the other hand, felt like he was riding on a throne. He was excited about something for once- a feeling that he hadn't experienced for a very long time. The kwami had trouble keeping still but remained quiet, his eyes slightly wider and more attentive. Perhaps, even, there a was a little nervousness in his movements. He'd not been alone with Tikki like this for a long time. They usually always talked about business, it made him feel so distant to his partner kwami. Adrien shook his head as they walked, beaming at Mari. "Plagg is something, isn't he?"

"Sure is," she laughed as well, turning her head for a few times before pulling out her phone. Her smile transformed into a smirk as she sent a quick text to Adrien.

 _I bet Plagg has a soft spot for the little bug._

He looked at the bright notification on his phone, holding in a chuckle.

 _Plagg? Romanticizing? No! Impossible._

 _I'm not certain about romance, but he seems to really want to get to know her! Besides, cats are always looking for love, aren't they?_

 _Oh, goodness. He would have to have spot softer than Camembert for him to be so excited._

Marinette motioned to her bag, raising an eyebrow in question to his last text as she caught a glimpse of Tikki laying the little piece of cloth across the cat kwami, who snuggled into it. He had a very wide smile on his face and was making an adorable noise of satisfaction before he glanced at the spotted kwami. "What about you?" he wondered. "Don't let me take over your little hot spot of comfort. You might never get it back, you know."

"It's better to give than to receive, Plagg!" Tikki giggled.

Plagg crossed his tiny arms underneath the cloth and sighed. "Always one for wisdom. You've been around Master Fuu and all his little adages for too long," he chuckled softly. In a moment of decision, he scooted next to her. "So, if we pair Trixx up with Alya, we're going to need a kwami she'll listen to and that usually happens to be Wayzz."

"Hmm, then we should pair Wayzz with Nino!" Tikki beamed. "I think it would be great to have them back on the team!"

Plagg blinked a few times and nodded, "Yeah, he'll be great to work with again," he said, exasperated- Wayzz's necessity was not enough to resolve his doubts. Yes, he was particularly jealous of Wayzz because it often seemed like Tikki enjoyed Wayzz's company more than his- maybe he was insecure. Besides, who would want to be around a little kwami who spouted meditation therapies almost all day.

Marinette smirked at Adrien as they stopped in front of a little café that was inside the college. "See?" she leaned in close and whispered. "He's obviously jealous!"

Adrien leaned in to join her, smirking. "We're in for a ride, Mari..." he warned, "Plagg's very stubborn."

"He'll open up! I did, didn't I, Kitty?" she said, leaning back a bit, placing a hand on her hip.

Tikki didn't seem to take notice of Plagg's words. Instead, she looked up as to if she could see through the bag. "Marinette and Adrien seem to be enjoying themselves, don't you think?"

"Yeah? So they are," Plagg said. "It's nice, I guess, I don't have to worry about Adrien so much now."

Tikki sat with her arms in her lap, quite surprised. "You worry about him a lot?" she whispered.

"Huh?" Plagg asked, peeking at her from the edge of his little cloth blanket, his mouth shrunk in thought before he shrugged it off. "Yeah, occasionally. The guy goes through a lot," he said. "I'm not heartless. I wouldn't love cheese so much if that was the case. I'm not as worried about him as I used to be but he was a mess before finding Marinette again. I could tell you stories," Plagg said.

Adrien stood, looking at the menu, "What should we get?"

"Anything you'd like!" Marinette giggled, pulling out a white card with wording written on it. "You see, we get free meals on campus. It comes with the charges. But, there is a limit to the things you can get," she told him.

Adrien glanced up. "Well, I'd love a little omelet. Maybe some orange juice and a few slices of toast."

As he said his words, a little waitress with short, blonde hair, turned to them in action to hearing him speak. "Coming righ- Adrien! Marinette!" the girl cheered. It was none other than their sunshiny friend, Rose. "It's been forever!"

Adrien's mouth dropped, "Oh, my! Rose! It has been forever! How have you been? You're looking just as vibrant as I remember," he said, smiling widely.

"Things have been great! A lot has changed, though, in a good way! Juleka enrolled here not too long ago, so I thought it would be fun to get a job here! Now I can see her often!" she cheered, her face glowing.

"That's terrific! You two always made a great pair! I've just recently enrolled. I start Monday!"

Rose smiled, excitement filling her eyes. "Perfect! I can't wait to tell Juleka! She will be stoked to know that you two are going here!" Rose glanced over at Marinette, who was surprisingly quite calm now.

"It's awesome being able to see so many people from high school! Alya and Nino are in town again, too! I'm finding so many of our original class," Adrien said, his eyes traveling over to his dark-haired girlfriend. "Marinette was the very first one I stumbled upon."

"What can I say? I'm a lucky charm," she giggled.

"Or it could be that Ladybug is back in town! I saw that the Ladyblog was up and running yesterday!" Rose nodded, holding onto her glittery notepad.

"I wouldn't have a doubt that it is! Alya has been up and down about Ladybug and Chat, too, ever since she's gotten here," he said. "Well, we better make breakfast quick. Mari has classes early this morning."

"Oh! Of course!" she giggled, writing down Adrien's order that she had overheard a few minutes ago. "What would you like, Marinette?"

Marinette hummed in thought. "Give me whatever is the sweetest! And some hot chocolate!"

Rose laughed and winked before finishing writing down the order. "Well, it might be hard to find something so sweet for Paris's best baking family! But I'll see what I can do." A moment later, and she had walked back to the kitchen.

He smiled widely. "Rose is wonderful. Always know how to make one smile. So, I take it you've seen her here before, huh? That's Rose and Nathaniel, of our original class that goes here, huh?"

"Mmm... not Rose, but Nathaniel? Yes. He comes here sometimes. Fridays, I think." She shrugged. "We would work on school projects here every now and then, too."

"Oh, well, she's working here now, so we'll probably be seeing more of her now. Which isn't bad, is it? Have you talked to Nathaniel lately?"

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, no. I completely forgot! I was going to clear this up a few days ago! Gee..." she sighed. "I've been pretty distracted lately, haven't I?"

"Well, we've had a lot of stuff on our plate. With Alya and Nino in town, who could blame you?"

"That's true. Do you think Nathaniel will hate me if I told him that I know he likes me? I don't want to hurt him, but I should really tell him that I'm not interested."

Adrien opened his mouth to speak but held his tongue. If he spoke too quickly, well... he'd afraid he'd get ahead of himself. There was tension between the blond and the red-head that was never really explained and maybe it had to do with the fact that both of them loved Marinette. She made her choice, though. "Be honest. It's better than leading him on."

"Yeah, he's a nice guy. I'm sure it'll work out alright. It just bugs me a little, you know?" she told him.

"Really, though? Does he bug you that much? I mean, I don't know. Beyond everyone I met in high school, I never really clicked with Nathaniel. I was probably better friends with Chloe than him," he admitted.

"He doesn't bug me but the guilt bugs me a bit. I'm sure you're used to girls having crushes on you, but with the guys who have liked me as a superheroine and as myself, it's just kinda odd. Attention isn't my thing, but your attention has always brought a smile to my face. I guess it's because it only feels right with you," she mumbled, her cheeks heating up.

He nodded. "I understand. It's not easy. For the longest time, I thought I'd never find a girl I wasn't just completely ignoring- and for a while, Chloe was the only one I could put up with," he said. "Then I started high school."

"I'm glad you came. It sure made my life interesting," she laughed gently, rolling her eyes.

"I know. I'm a miracle-worker, aren't I?" Adrien laughed. "I mean, after the whole gum incident, you were a pretty nice friend to have, despite the whole stuttering and stuff."

"Oh, come on! I was young! I had fallen in love with my first crush. It was a lot to take in," she pouted, crossing her arms. "But I'm glad I did get to know you better over the years."

"Yeah, it only took almost two years of no Ladybug, a poor, lonely Chat, and a dark-haired girl leaving her balcony window open."

"Sounds like a love story to me," she smirked. "I might just take in lost kittens more often. They seem luckier than ladybugs to me."

He blushed slightly. "Really? Nothing can be luckier than Ladybug. Can there be? I've never meant a lucky kitten..." he mused softly, fiddling with the napkin holder. "Chat missed Ladybug so much in those two years. I can't begin to recount what that poor cat had to go through."

"The way I see it, Chat is Cinderella and she didn't start out well either, right? But in the end, she lived happily ever after, so I think the cat will have a happy ending. Even if it's not right now."

"Well, despite Hawkmoth and the other troubles he's facing, he's definitely much happier to have a companion by his side. Especially someone so compassionate and quick-witted as Ladybug," he said, sitting back and smiling before turning away. "Anything's better than those two years..." he whispered to himself.

"Did you search for me?" she whispered, biting her lip. "I searched for you a few times. It was hard because when I started to fall for the other half of you, I could've known all of those years. I could've revealed myself or told you that I loved you but I didn't love you just then, so I lost something I never had," she murmured, rubbing her arm.

He laid his fingers along his face, hiding his eyes from her in a deep state of remembrance. It pained him and made him feel tired. "I wanted to find you so badly after... after that night you said that our work as heroes was done and you wanted to focus on your life," he sighed. "I don't remember what you said. I just think I remember that being a topic we discussed. I loved you more and more every day, Ladybug. Every passing day I didn't see you only reaffirmed my love for you. And then I lost you and... and I couldn't find you. God, I looked." He breathed quickly through his nose, his face flushed and his entire form shifted away from her. "Why bother remembering it, though? It's over, right? I don't have to live through that again, do I?" he asked, his voice as if there were tears streaming down his features but there weren't any. His eyes, shown by the few glances he let slip between his fingers, were red.

"Kitty, I'll always be by your side. We're living together. Doing so many things together. Fighting for Paris again? It's all coming back and in the best way. Well, almost. Sure, there will be tough parts through all of this, but we need to hold onto the good," she sent him a caring smile, reaching out to grab one of his hands.

He nodded, now looking at her. His emerald eyes beamed with happiness, hope, and love. "I can get behind that. Let the hardship come. If I'm holding your hand, there's little it can do to stop me," he promised. He took her hand and kissed it softly before holding onto it.

Her cheeks burned red up to her ears. "If you're holding my hand, I won't let go," she whispered in a soft tone.

"Good. I never wanted to let go, anyway," he assured her.

At that moment, the bell above the cafe door rung, announcing the arrival of a new patron.


	15. Cafeteria Confrontations

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 15**

When Marinette turned around in her chair to see the newest arrival to the campus cafeteria, her eyes widened in surprise. A familiar redhead stood in the doorway, a worrisome look on his soft features as he had his hands slipped into the outside pockets of his jacket. Nathaniel sighed and approached the counter, missing Marinette and Adrien completely.

Marinette looked back to Adrien. "He's here! Should I do something?"

Adrien swallowed, glancing over for a moment before sighing. "Listen," he said, his voice soft and careful. "I can slip out; head to the bathrooms or something and you can take care of it. If there weren't so many people around, I wouldn't be so careful. Unless... no, that's probably a better idea. Let's stick with my plan for right now, yeah?"

She nodded, checking her phone to see the time. After a moment of hesitation, she rose from her seat. "I'm going to go talk to him. I'll be right back."

He nodded, sighing and standing up as well. "Good luck," he murmured, heading out of sight.

Nathaniel stood before the front ordering counter, a finger on his chin in thought. "Hey, Rose. Yeah, uh, one small latte and a couple of waffles, please," he murmured, putting on a nervous smile.

"Coming right up!" Rose cheered, writing down the order. Her gaze moved past Nathaniel to the bluenette standing awkwardly behind him. "Oh, and Marinette! Your food is coming out in just a second!"

Nathaniel glanced over quickly, his eyes lighting up with both happiness and surprise. "Marinette, hey! You're here for breakfast, too? I mean, of course you are. Why else would you be here?" he said quickly, rubbing the back of his head. "Are you alone? I mean, is anyone sitting with you? Would you like me- someone to sit with you?"

She sighed, opening her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. She grabbed his hand and walked over to an empty table. Once they sat down, she closed her eyes and took a breath. "Listen, Nathaniel. I need to talk to you about something."

Nathaniel felt something in his throat lurch at her words. "What do you need to talk about, Marinette? It can be anything; I'm all ears," he assured her, sitting down and brushing a few strands of his tomato hair from in front of his eye.

"It's not good news. I've done something I shouldn't have. First off, I should probably tell you who I'm dating. It's-" She sucked in a breath. "Adrien Agreste." She let it hang for a moment, scanning over Nathaniel's frantic looks. She shook her head. "It's not because of his looks or his popularity but his personality. Also, he is staying with me. He decided to go to this college, so his father suggested he stays with me. I should've told you this before but I just didn't know how to tell you. You were being so nice and you gave me some nice things. It was just difficult, you know?"

Several moments passed as Nathaniel stared, only blinking a few times.

He remained frozen like that, his eyes just barely downcast and his form facing directly at her. His hands rested on the table. It was several moments before he even made a noise. "A-Adrien Agreste?"

"Uh, yeah," she mumbled. "I know you like me, Nath, but... I don't feel the same. I really don't want to hurt you! You're super nice and one of my close friends, you know? I just see you more as a friend.

"Right, I understand. So... you fell for Agreste," he breathed, as it hurt to even mention him. "I see... he appeals more to you. I thought that because... you... but I was wrong. How long have you two been together now?"

"Maybe a week now?" she whispered a bit hesitantly. "Nathaniel... I really don't want to hurt you in any way or ruin our friendship," she said, rubbing her arm.

"No, no, it's alright. I'll be... okay," he murmured, "I've always been okay. Why change now?" Nathaniel swallowed before shifting his form as if he was going to stand, "I guess I should probably leave, then..."

"But what about your breakfast? Aren't you going to eat something?" she asked nervously. "You don't have to leave because of me, you know. I don't want to make you feel like you have to distance yourself or something."

"Oh, yeah, breakfast. Uh, well, is Adrien with you right now?" Nathaniel asked, scratching the top of his head, "Is he here?"

"Uh, yeah," she smiled awkwardly. "He, uh, stepped out for a second. I can text him if you'd like me to?"

"No, no, you don't have to do that. I'll just go... ah... find myself another table so you can have breakfast together and I won't be in the way," he murmured softly, sighing, "Hey, but... thanks for telling me, though."

"Well, okay..." she mumbled, nodding just a bit.

After Nathaniel walked over to a different table, she sighed, pulling out her phone to shoot a text to Adrien.

 _Hey, I told him. You can come back now_

 _How'd it go with Nathaniel? Think I should talk to him?_

 _It went okay. Nathaniel didn't seem too upset. It might be a good idea to talk to him after school, though._

Rose started setting their meals down on the table when Marinette glanced up from her phone. Rose had brought her a chocolate cake with a strawberry on top. Strawberries were her favorite! And with a mug of hot chocolate, where could she go wrong? Adrien's food looked pretty good, too. The omelet looked fresh as well as the toast. The juice didn't seem too exciting to her, but it complimented the meal just like a nice outfit with a simple necklace. Marinette quickly looked back at her phone.

Foo _d is here! Hurry up or else you'll be munching on cat food instead of a warm meal, kitty._

 _Hey, for some reason, some brands of kibble don't look all that bad. I'll be there..._

"Right now," Adrien grinned, taking a glance over at the redhead without looking too suspicious. He took his seat. "I'll catch Nathaniel if I can remember to come back over here," he said. "Man, we've got so much to do today..."

She sighed. "Exactly. Hopefully, after we get today finished, we will have more free time tomorrow." Marinette's eyes forced on the cake, blurring out all else around her. While living in a bakery her whole life, she had to learn to tone down on the sweets, but she didn't eat barely any now, so who was watching, right? She took in a few bites and instantly fell in love with it. It was rich, which was surprising for a little café like this one. Rich cakes like this one usually came from three-star restaurants, which is the fanciest restaurant most of the people could afford. Paris took their food seriously and the better meals were served mostly to the rich.

Adrien watched pointedly, his hands tucked beneath his chin after he decided to set down his fork and pay attention. "Hey, you're not going to run off into the sunset with that cake, are you?" he asked, chuckling before he started eating. "Free time sounds so wonderful. Some time to clear my head, definitely."

"Right now, running away with cake sounds like the perfect plan, but I'd rather run away from my responsibilities with a certain cat instead," she said coolly, picking up her mug with two hands and bringing it up to her lips. _Peppermint_ , she thought as the warm drink went down her throat. Rose must have known it was her favorite somehow.

"Oh, phew, I was fearful there I'd get replaced by a slice of cake. Really terrified," he laughed, eating at his omelet, which happened to be very fluffy and very cheesy. "Man, I'm so glad I don't have to have my diet monitored as closely right now. I can indulge myself for once..."

Marinette couldn't help but giggle. "you know, Kitty. I could always sneak some food for you every now and then." Sabine would have been proud, she would go on and on about how skinny Adrien was and how he needed to eat something. Marinette limited herself, but not as much as models would need to. It was disgusting when she thought about it. Adrien's own father was limiting him in a way that was commonly seen as unhealthy. Marinette would have to rebel against his father's ways by sneaking him something sweet ever so often.

"As much as that does seem like a very tempting offer, I can't go too over-the-top with it. I'll probably still be doing photo shoots and stuff like that for him so he'll expect me to keep my diet at all costs," he sighed. "He said I have to be even more conscious of it now that I'm older because, as he put it, _Age is not a kind business partner and will ruin years of hard work._ Whatever the heck that means," he sighed. "No, that was one of the reasons why all I wanted to do was eat when I was at your parents' bakery. If I asked for dessert at the mansion, I'd be given fat-free jello or something."

"Yikes." Marinette cringed at the thought of not ever having a sweet with the whole model career. "I'm still gonna treat you sometimes, though. What's the point of living in Paris without ever eating anything tasteful," she told him, motioning her fork to him.

"Tell that to my father," he groaned. "I swear, if I were to ever walk into a candy store, I'd have to be restrained."

"Well, there are no rules about eating habits with me. Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy," she smiled, stabbing her fork into the strawberry and biting into it. It was soft, which meant it was probably frozen before she got it. The soft berry melted into her mouth, causing her smile to increase. Before she could take another bite of her cake, a loud, ear-ringing bell filled the space of the café. Her eyes went to the door, then to her bag before opening it. "Plagg, it's time to go now!" she whispered to the tiny creature.

"Oh? Really? Fine," Plagg sighed softly, quickly zipping out of the bag and into Adrien's in the blink of an eye. "Bye, Tikki!" he whispered, cuddling into Adrien's pocket. Adrien leaned over and took her hand, kissing it. "I'll see you later, love."

"Bye, Plagg!" Tikki giggled, hogging the blanket that was now hers once again.

"See you," she blushed. "Oh! And feel free to finish what I left. And give this to Rose!" she nodded, handing him a white card as she stood up. Marinette leaned down to give his cheek a quick peck. "I'll be back soon! Bye, Kitty!" she giggled before hurrying out of the café.

He nodded, taking what he wanted of the food in front of him, "Man... this cake is to die for," he murmured. "I'll have to get one myself next time..." After Adrien cleaned up, he approached the counter. "Rose? Hey, Marinette wanted you to have this."

"Oh! Her card!" Rose beamed, taking the card and swiping it, causing a sound to come from the cash register. "Here you go! I hope you two had a great meal!" she told him, handing the card back.

"Oh, trust me, it was wonderful!" he said. "And that cake. Whoever made that cake deserves a medal."

Rose laughed. "I'll make sure to tell the people in the back! Come back soon, okay? And bring Marinette! Don't tell her that I spoiled the secret, but she used to have a crush on you back in high school!"

He blinked a few times before smiling widely. "Hey, no, I know about that, actually. We're a couple, now," he told her.

"Ready? That's so great! Does Alya know? She has been trying to set you up for years!" she laughed.

"Yes, oh, God, she knows. Neither of us had to tell her. She figured out just through a simple phone call."

"That's Alya for you!" she cheered before someone called her name from the kitchen. "Sorry, Adrien. It was nice seeing you, but duty calls!" she said.

"Bye, Rose!" he said, slipping out of the cafe and heading off.

He paced uneasily along the streets of Paris, in the direction of the Agreste mansion, trying to organize his thoughts that had piled up over the last few days. With the exception of a few seemingly relaxed smiling faces to people walking in the other direction, he kept his face hidden. The walk felt like it took an eternity to make, but when he came to the looming presence of the ridiculously large building that he had called home for most of his life, he stopped in the middle of the courtyard. For several minutes, he tried to muster up the courage to enter the structure. In his eyes, it seemed completely abandoned and, hauntingly, he felt like it'd be a crime to enter it while his entire family was gone from it.

Eventually, though, he convinced himself that spending an hour inside to gather the things he needed could be forgiven. He knew he couldn't live with wearing the same outfit that he had been for the last three days any longer.

He walked into the mansion, his ears assaulted by a silence that channeled through the stagnant air trapped inside. Even without any occupants, a chill ran through the entirety of the building and up Adrien's spine. Every step that he took sent waves of echoes through the vacant rooms and it made Adrien feel so vulnerable.

He made his way up the staircase and to his room. He surveyed the room before he gathered the bare necessities to take back to Marinette's dorm. After doing that, he checked the scene of the fire from the night before as Chat Noir before coming home to the dorm, changing back into his civilian self. A moment later, he was face to face with a certain redheaded boy.

Marinette's day was just as long. School dragged on for ages on end, and she feared at times that she'd never get out of it alive. A trip to the doctor's office later and she'd be entirely done with everything and everyone, using Ladybug's yo-yo to get home the fastest that she could. Changing, she came to the front door and entered inside of it, looking in to see her blond-haired boyfriend resting cross-legged on her bed, typing away on his laptop that been one of the items he gathered from his mansion home. He was even adorned in a fresh pair of clothes (hoping now he looked, to some degree, more presentable in comparison to his goddess girlfriend). He seemed a bit distracted, not hearing her land out on the balcony.

Marinette set her bag on a chair, opening it so that Tikki could find her way out. Marinette looked up, walking over to him, moving the laptop from his lap and setting her head on his lap in replacement. "Long day, Kitten?" she murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. "My day wasn't the best, either."

"Yeah, it's been tough. Monday's are horrible days..." he murmured, looking down at her and gently running his hand across her cheek, "I'm still alive so that has to count for something, right? How'd everything go for you?"

"Mmmm, boring," she hummed closing her eyes, beaming over his warm touch, "But it's less boring now," she mumbled in a tired way.

Plagg took notice of the arrival of Tikki, flying out from the little room underneath the bed to go to his spotted friend, greeting her with a cheeky grin, "'Bout time you two got back!" he mewed.

Tikki turned to the kitten, "Hey, Plagg!" she giggled before turning to Marinette. "It could've been fun if you put more effort into positivity, Mari!" she nodded.

" _Paw-lease_ , after Adrien ran into that tomato-haired boy, there was no hope for getting positivity back into him," Plagg mewed.

Adrien went pale slightly, glaring at his kwami, "Let's not discuss that..."

"Oh, Kitten..." she sighed, looking up to gaze upon him, "What happened?" she murmured, taking his hand as she stared at him.

"Let's just say it wasn't the friendliest of conversations. It wasn't what I was expecting either. I hadn't gone far from the cafeteria after you had left, and I had basically run right into him without even noticing. I could tell he was nervous and Nathaniel has always been a pretty quiet guy but he definitely had something he wanted to say to me," he said, his voice soft. "He talked to me as if you didn't trust me. He wasn't rude or anything but it seemed like he so far out of his comfort zone that he was overstepping his boundaries almost. You're telling him you weren't interested didn't seem to do much, really. Maybe, he doesn't know how to handle it?"

"Yeah, he does seem to get shy, so that could mean he's not as social as we are? I think I'm the only crush he has ever had. He did seem to like Juleka for a small period before Rose ruined his chances," she sighed, sitting up to snuggle into his warm chest. "I'm so sorry this happened, Kitten..."

He wrapped his arms around her, pressing the side of his face against the top of her head. "Hey, no, it's not your fault. It was just... it happened this way and it was hard to deal with," he sighed. "Let's just hope we don't run into any more trouble with him. We should probably put in a patrol at some point this afternoon. So far, every incident almost slipped right past us and that's not a good thing."

"Mmm," she murmured. "In a bit, though. Right now I'm sure I would fall asleep halfway through a battle. Plus, it's been all day since I've seen you."

"Man, you missed me pretty bad, huh," he chuckled softly before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "I missed you too, bug-a-boo."

"Good," she smirked, crossing her arms. "I would've thrown you off a building if you didn't, kitty cat."

"Ouch, a little rough, don't you think?" he laughed. "You'd really do that to this cute kitten?"

"Hmm. Maybe," she hummed slyly. "I may not be able to see your claws right now, but that doesn't mean they aren't there, silly."

"Awh, well this kitty trusts his lovely companion way too much to ever think of using claws on her," he said, nuzzling his head against hers.

"Good to know," she smiled, rolling her eyes at his cat-like actions. Marinette gave in and started petting his golden hair, running her fingers through it gently.

"Awh! Aren't they adorable, Plagg?" Tikki giggled as she watched the happy couple cuddle on the bed.

Plagg made a face before sighing. "Yeah, their love is intoxicating..." he murmured before pursing his lips and looking over at Tikki. "Well, it isn't so bad now that I'm used to it. It's nice to see both of them so happy together. Makes you... eh... what does it matter? It's nice."

Tikki grabbed Plagg by his paw, "C'mon! They need their privacy!" Tikki cheered before dragging Plagg under the bed with her.

Plagg made a noise at being pulled away so suddenly but offered no resistance, flying just behind the spotted kwami, "Okay, okay, Tikki!" he murmured after her.

Marinette returned his kiss, tilting her head just a bit, "I think we scared them, Kitten," she whispered against his lips.

Adrien's eyes went to the edge of his face before he smirked and shook his head, "Nah... probably only Plagg got scared," he laughed before stealing another kiss.

"He might just be jealous that he doesn't have someone to hold. I swear that cat has a thing for Tikki. God, I understand why Alya is so eager to know everything all the time," she giggled, capturing his lips once more.

"Maybe he's like me, then. In a sense, anyway; he's just now realizing who he was in love with all along," Adrian purred before laughing softly, "Still, Plagg in love with something other than Camembert?"

"I believe it. Kwami's have hearts, too, don't they?" she wondered, tilting her head to the side. "Even so, he could've changed. The Plagg you may know could be a real softy."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "He's a real stickler about letting me in on that secret," he sighed before smiling nonetheless. "Still, if Tikki catches onto it, it might be a very good change for Plagg."

"Mmhmm!" she giggled. "But enough about the little guy's love life," she shook her head, escaping from Adrien's arms to walk over to her desk. She picked up her sketchbook, returning to his side once more. "Want to watch me for a bit, Kitten?"

His expression brightened even more as she came over with the book, "Boy, do I. Something about watching you sketch is mesmerizing," he giggled before leaning softly against her, snaking his arm around her. "What kind of masterpiece are you going to craft today?"

"Patience," she smirked, poking his nose. "You'll see what I'm making soon enough." Her eyes went back to her book, blushing a bit as she flipped a few pages, avoiding certain pages. She had used his figure for a few sketches and she'd rather not explain. There were even a few of Chat Noir in various outfits.

He tried his best to catch glimpses of what she had in there and special attention to those she tried to hide from him. When he eyed one sketch of Chat in a certain bright-as-the-sun yellow and midnight-black-striped suit, which certainly appealed to his taste because Chat was a seeker of the night but that yellow looked as if it complimented his hair so perfectly, he couldn't help but grin widely. "Inspiration can come from anywhere, huh?"

"Shut up!" she laughed, giving him a light push. "Did you think I could leave the most mysterious alley-cat in town out of my sketchbook?" She rolled her eyes. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag..." she chuckled, flipping to another page. The drawing was of Chat in his usual uniform with some slight modifications. There wasn't a bell around his neck like there was now. In fact, his whole collar was flipped up for a more 60s' edge kind of vibe. The costume revealed just a bit of his chest as the suit came down to a V-neck shape. His hair was loosely slicked back along with a ponytail hanging from his shoulder, revealing his ears. Besides that, the suit itself was about the same, yet each hem had a hue of lime green to take away the dull feel of plain black. The page beside it showed a picture of Ladybug. She looked very similar to how she looked now, hair in a low bun, lots of spots, and red, but the difference was that it looked as if she were wearing gloves and boots. Yet, they were only the design of how the suit looked. But overall, the two looked grown up and kind of dangerous in a sense.

Admittedly, Adrien cringed at that pun before laughing and laying his head on her shoulder, looking on. " _Paw-lease_ , mysterious? Really? You work with him. How mysterious could he have really been for you?" He sighed nevertheless, his eyes going over every inch of her designs for them and smirking. "Boy, think about me dancing to disco in that kind of outfit. Looks like I'm the anti-hero for some sort of seventies American movie. You, even more so."

"Hey! I think I look pretty cute," she pouted, crossing her arms. "You just have no taste in fashion, Mister Mysterious," she told him, sticking out her tongue.

He brought his head up. "Woah, hey, I never said you looked bad, just... different. That kind of look masquerades your collected and compassionate nature- makes you seem a bit rougher and, well, maybe even harsher as well. I just it's not how I'd ever want to see you. I guess, from a standpoint of fashion, it's nice."

"I know, just teasing," she giggled. "I usually mess around with different styles every now and then, but I like to go more to the cute and simple kinds of clothing. I had this phase where I would just make Ladybug themed items, which I think you've seen one of them, but when we parted ways I became obsessed with the inspiration my days as a hero brought me."

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't hurt to branch off occasionally," he said, replacing his head against her shoulder once more, smiling softly. "Those days, back then, were pretty awesome, weren't they? Us as teenagers and stuff. High school drama," he said before sighing. "And then it stopped for a while. Everything stopped. High school. Ladybug and Chat Noir, Marinette obsessing over Adrien. It all kind of stopped and I never figured out why."

"Me neither," she sighed, wrapping an arm around his waist and pressing her head against his even so softly. "When Hawkmoth disappeared I always theorized as to why he did or when he would come back. Maybe he's trying to test us somehow? Or he might know that we're older now, so that would mean we probably have more responsibilities which could lead to less free time to patrol. If that's the case, then he didn't get it all wrong. We have been kind of busy."

"Yeah, but he neglected one thing. He neglected just how dedicated we are to these roles. I mean, yeah, for a while, I've gone around saying how free I feel as Chat, but Chat gives me purpose that I didn't have as Adrien. You give me purpose, too, you know... I have purpose now. Something I didn't have in high school. And because of that, Hawkmoth should be very afraid."

"Mmhmm," she whispered, closing her eyes as a blush spread across her cheeks. "Being Ladybug always made me feel like I was more than just a mere baker's daughter. On the day you apologized to me about the gum, it made me realize that someone cared about me. Even as a friend."

"Hey, no, even if you didn't have Ladybug, you still would have gone on to be magnificent in your own way, like you are now. Plus, everyone loved you before I even knew your name so I'm sure that... that if I hadn't shown up, surely you would have found someone else just as quickly, you know. That's how amazing you are," he whispered, bringing a hand up to run it through her dark hair. "Adrien would have faded into obscurity under my father's watch, no doubt..."

"Kitten, I could never let you fade away. I think fate brought us together and if I'm right, then fate would've made sure we still would have met somehow. Plus, your father can't rule over you forever. You're an adult now. Your life is in your control."

He squeezed his arms around her softly, nestling into the warmth of her form and sighing happily. "I don't deserve you, Mari. You're so wonderful to me... especially after the gum incident, my constantly not paying you any real attention in high school, my selfishness. God, how'd you fall in love with a jerk like me, huh?" he murmured softly. "I... I don't care though, I'm so happy I've met you... and we're together... and... I want to spend my life with you. Nothing is more important."

"You were never selfish. You were loyal to Ladybug because when I was Ladybug I was more confident in who I was. I felt like I was a different person, a better person, but I was just more of myself," she whispered, giving up on the sketchbook to fall into his embrace. "I'll always be by your side. No matter what."

"Thank God," he murmured, smiling softly and kissing her lips. "Thank you, Marinette. I love you so much. I can't tell you that enough."

"I love you, too. And believe me. I know that you love me more than almost anything. Because I feel the exact same," she giggled, dropping the book to the side before wrapping her arms around his neck to return his kiss.

He smiled widely in the kiss, his eyes closing softly as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, moving her gently so that she was reclining on the bed and he was hovering over her.

Her eyes were shut but opened for a brief second to look up at him. "Just a few minutes, okay?" she blushed.

"Fine," he murmured at her. "We don't have to do much. I just wanted the chance to cuddle with you. I haven't had that for a while," he said.

"Awh, have you missed your bedbug?" she teased, placing a kiss on his forehead as she messed around with his soft, silky hair.

"Honestly, you're getting way to _paw-_ sy with these puns," Adrien laughed before bringing his head up so he could capture her lips. "But yes, I have."

"I guess I'm beating the player at his own game, huh? I've missed you, too. I love our alone time. Not as much as I love you, though, of course."

"Oh, boy, I'm not going to get _scratched out_ of my own stopping ground by a particular buggy like yourself," he giggled. "And it's a perk, remember? Perks are good."

"Mmhmm," she murmured, trying not to fall asleep.

"Trying to steal away a _catnap_ , bug-a-boo?" he whispered softly.

"Possibly," she giggled. "But I'd rather stay awake so I can enjoy the affection you're giving me. Everything seems so still when you're around, you know? Well, either that or the world around me resembles some sort of action film," she told him, a loving smile hugging her lips as her fingers brushed his hair back into the right places.

"Probably both, knowing how everything usually goes for the two of us," he laughed. "You make everything worth the trouble. "Man, remember all those times you said I was nothing but a hopeless romantic? Yeah, I'm starting to think you were right."

"Not all right, half right. You're a romantic, but not hopeless. After years of trying, you won yourself a little bug," she winked at him.

"And, oh, God, was it worth the desperation, heartbreak and awful pick-up lines that I had to go through to get there," he laughed. "But, c'mon, let's be honest. You only fell _head over paws_ for me because of how _hiss-terical_ my puns are."

She slapped a hand to her forehead. "God..." she groaned. "I can assure you that your sense of humor wasn't the only thing I fell for," she chuckled, looking down to meet his gaze.

He leaned over, closing his eyes as he kissed her lips softly. "And you have no idea how happy that makes me," he whispered.

Marinette blushed. "I'm glad. A day you're happy is a day I can call an accomplishment."

"Hey, but the question is whether or not you're happy. And be honest with me, if there's anything bothering you, be sure to let me know, bug-a-boo," he murmured softly, pulling back slightly to smile at her.

"Oh Kitty, you could never bug me. I love every part of you. Besides, _bugging_ is in my nature, remember?" she smirked as she referred to her superheroine self.

"Mari, you're too precious," he cooed, snuggling against her softly. "You're the most beautiful kind of bug I've ever discovered."

She giggled. "Why, thank you, Kitty," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. She placed a small peck on his cheek. "You've discovered other bugs, hmm?"

He tapped his chin lightly. "Well, I remember tackling a particular Anti-bug back in high school but she was way of out of my league, definitely."

"Exactly. You're beyond _purr-fect._ And that's why I love you," she soon whispered to him. Her arms stayed tightly wrapped around him as if he were a present and she was the wrapping paper. She took in the scent of his new pair of clothes and noted that they were fresh, like flowers in the spring.

He kissed the top of her forehead. "You're so _purr-fect_ , too, you know." he said. "We're a match made in heaven, aren't we?"

"Just two angels stuck on this planet, huh?" she whispered, sitting up a bit. "As much as I'd love to continue this, there is a city that needs saving, Kitten."

He winked. "Gotcha. We'll make a day of it and then we can come back and snuggle some more," he said, glancing over.

"Sounds _purr-fect_ ," she told him, returning a wink. Marinette bent down and looked under the bed for her tiny bug friend. "Tikki! Time to go!"


	16. Business Comes First

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 16**

Marinette and Adrien shared about an hour more of resting with each other, both of them lost in the affection that had for the other. Still, after Marinette mentioned throw much work they had to do, Adrien eventually capitulated and gave into having to prepare himself to go out into the cruel world once more. Marinette did the same, and once the two of them were freshly dressed and ready to go, Marinette went to the edge of her bed and leaned down, bracing her hand against the top of the bed in order to call into the deeper parts of the piece of furniture.

"Tikki! It's time to go!"

The spotted kwami flew out with a bright, cheerful smile on her face. "I'm ready!"

Plagg followed after, leading Adrien to raise an eyebrow. "Coming out without me even having to call for you, Plagg?"

"Yeah, and what of it?"

"Well, nothing, I was just surprised."

Marinette smirked, she knew her theory was right and had a feeling Adrien was catching onto her point, too. "Okay, Tikki, spots on!" she shouted before transforming into her alter-ego.

"Plagg, claws out!" he cheered right after her, adorning the black suit of Chat Noir, presenting a toothy grin. "Paris, I hope you're ready to receive your heroes!"

She smirked, getting a head start as she leaped off the balcony and into the Paris evening. "I'm sure it's more than ready, Chat."

As the sun slowly set off towards the edge of the horizon, the air would be cool and still. Chat closed his eyes, feeling his blond locks kick up while he soared through the air around the city. "It'll be interesting to see what Hawkmoth might try next."

"Exactly, so it's our job to sniff out any problems that come our way," she told him, swinging her yo-yo from building to building. After a short while of finding nothing too important, Ladybug flipped up onto the top of a building, looking off at the city for anything out of the ordinary.

Chat glanced about, settling down beside her as he did so. "We don't have a really good way of finding out things he does until they happen," he murmured. "It's not like he'd just show up out of nowhere." His eyes trailed up and down the street before he saw something that made his mouth drop open slightly.

She stopped searching and gazed over at him. "What's wrong, Chat? See something?"

Chat didn't respond. He was focused on the sight of Gabriel Agreste down on the sidewalk below, attempting to get his cell phone to pick up reception. "Ladybug, it's..."

"Wha-?" she got out before her eyes widened at the sight of Mister Agreste. "Oh, Adrien..." she whispered. "Should we?"

Chat Noir had already launched off the edge of the building and was dashing over towards him without a second thought. The sight of his father alright was too much for Adrien not to leap for joy but he had to hear his father's voice. Despite their problems, Gabriel Agreste was his father and the only family he had left since the disappearance of his mother. Gabriel hadn't noticed until the feline hero came barreling over and nearly ran into him.

Gabriel took a step over to one side and curled his lips to one side of his face. "Oh, what a surprise. It's one of the fabled heroes of Paris," he said, slipping his phone into his suit pocket.

Chat stood before him, speechless, having just recovered from the sudden impact of rushing over. He could only stare, realizing that his father saw Chat Noir and not Adrien Agreste.

Ladybug leaped over to land beside Chat. "Excuse me, Mister Agreste, but there have been rumors that you are missing from your home. Are you possibly trying to find your way back?"

The reputable fashion designer had eyed Chat suspiciously for a few minutes before looking over at Ladybug landing beside him. "Oh, yes. I am, currently. I would have arrived sooner if my phone had picked up reception and I knew about this side of town but, alas, I do not. A minor inconvenience, yes."

Chat still could only stare but he glanced over at Ladybug now. Gabriel centered his vision on the black-clad hero, taking notice of his hesitance. "Your friend here is looking as if he's seen a ghost. Is something the matter?"

"Oh, um, he's fine. We've just been going over new tactics for fighting and, uh, he's having a difficult time with some things!" she said, nodding quickly. Her eyes darted away.

"Right, well, those eyes of his are, without a doubt, piercing. I digress, perhaps you're aware of which direction I would be most likely to find my mansion once again. I should like to get there as quickly as possible. No doubt Adrien (and as this name passed the lips of Gabriel, Chat made a sudden, broken noise) is there and is quite spooked by my sudden disappearance." Gabriel murmured, revealing a pocketbook and paging his way through it before making a soft noise. "Well, I'll have to update my schedule when I return, it's horribly out of date."

"We could take you back to your place if you'd like, but, uh, may I ask? Why exactly did you disappear?"

Pocketing the book, he adjusted the lapels of his beige jacket. "Ah, well, you see, I got an urgent message from an associate of mine that required my immediate attention. Thankfully, now, business can return to normal."

"Oh, well, that's good to hear," she nodded, processing the situation. If Gabriel was telling the truth, then Hawkmoth must have known that setting everything up like a kidnapping would scare the living hell out of Adrien. Ladybug finally revealed what Hawkmoth was trying to do, distract them from something bigger. The Louvre, the attack with all the games where the villain wanted to hurt the civilians, the fire from a day or two ago, Hawkmoth was using everything around him to distract and confuse them. She breathed, she didn't want to seem worried at this moment in time. "Well, if you keep walking down this sidewalk, here," she told Mister Agreste, gesturing to the path. "Then take a right and keep walking until you come to the corner store and take a left there. It's a simple walk down that road and you should get home safely."

He presented the spotted hero with a polite smile. "Wonderful. Who knew it would come out to be so simple?" he mused. "Well, you have my sincerest gratitude, Ladybug. I cannot offer much more, unfortunately, and I won't keep you any longer," Gabriel said, turning.

Chat was still stricken. He couldn't put the pieces together in his head. The fact that his father was here. Unharmed. Acting in front of Paris' heroes as if he had just gotten lost. Failing to mention the fact that Hawkmoth had kidnapped him. How could his father be so brash? So self-centered? He didn't even seem bothered by the fact that he had left his son in tears more than once over this whole ordeal and he just saw it as an inconvenience. Chat wanted to hug his father, dammit, regardless of how terribly arrogant and uncaring could be, but he couldn't because he was Chat. It wasn't like he'd get very far with being Adrien either but at least he could talk to him, then. Could he, though?

After the tall man was out of sight, Ladybug leaned close to Chat. "We can get into your house first if you want to. I think we can make it there first, but we'll have to go through your windows in the back. We can, uh, pretend we were waiting for him there all day, maybe?" she blushed.

Chat's eyes fell. "I'm just a passing reference. I'm just business to him. That's all. He can't see his own damned son when he's standing right in front of him."

"Adrien..." she sighed softly, wrapping her arms around him. "Don't say that. I'm sure he cares about all of this. And you. Trust me, he's not someone like Hawkmoth," she whispered, letting go of him gently.

"What if it was all a lie? What if I'm so freaking gullible that Hawkmoth could ride up and tell me that he took my mother from me, too? I'd believe him. Just like I did now. It's not like my father ever let me know when he had plans on leaving."

"I guess... but think of it like this, your father is back and unharmed. Hawkmoth probably won't take him again, so he will be safe now. We can figure out what we can trust once we hear what he has to say. He might try to trick us again, but if we work together I'm sure we can come to a reasonable compromise. No-one is hurt, Chaton. Well, physically at least, but we need to move forward even in a time of hurt and confusion."

Chat fell silent, his eyes locked but flashing with conflicting thoughts. It took a few moments before Chat looked at Ladybug. "You're right; we'll go to my father first."

She nodded. "Follow me," she told him before prepping her yo-yo and swinging off with a zip.

Chat Noir vaulted after her, flying with a brooding purpose. The excitement and finesse that came with being Paris' hero left him long ago. His mind occupied itself with shivering thoughts of his own failure and just at how everything came out to be for him.

When the two approached the back of the building, Ladybug hung upside down as she looked into his room using her yo-yo to lower herself just above the window. "The lights are off, so he's probably still walking towards the place," she said, opening the window to jump inside. As she transformed back, Marinette flopped onto his couch. "Here, lie down with me and we will pretend to sleep or something."

"It's good you've got a better plan than I do," Chat said, slipping in behind her and de-transforming. Adrien collapsed down on the couch and buried himself into the cushions, almost curling up to keep himself together.

Plagg flew up and hovered at the same level of Marinette's face, smirking at the sight. "Even without the suit, he's still a cat," he commented before slipping into the blond boy's jacket and out of sight.

"You're not far from one either," Tikki giggled, nuzzling against a throw pillow.

Marinette laughed. "She's not wrong, you know."

The little kwami peeked his head out, a deadpanned look on his face. "Hey, well, it is my job to be the best cat there is, so... yeah."

"Mmm," Marinette hummed in thought. "I think Adrien has you beat there," she chuckled.

"I like Adrien, but Plagg has always been my favorite cat!" Tikki cheered as Marinette cooed at the adorable response from the spotted kwami.

"Every bug has their favorite cat," Adrien murmured. "I guess that's just how it's meant to be."

Plagg, on the other hand, laughed softly. "Hey, well, Adrien would have never been the cat he is if I hadn't been the one to teach him all those sly, little tricks of his."

"Wait. Did all those cheesy puns come from Plagg?" she raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she stared at the two.

Adrien's eyes perked up. "Woah, hey, not all of 'em, I swear. A lot of them are mine."

Plagg cackled inside of the jacket pocket. "Awh, man! Boy, oh, boy, this guy! He thinks he came up with them on his own! Wooie!"

Marinette laughed. "Awh! That means you're my little Chat, huh?" she cooed, rubbing her finger against the Kwami's cheek. "But does that mean that all of those times I fired off those witty comments to Chat's flirts, they were from you?"

Tikki shrugged. "Probably, but I just help your mind work the way you want to! You're still Ladybug no matter if you are in spots or not!"

"Yeah, just like all that charisma that bleeds off his flirts are pure Adrien. I just provide him with the source material, not the actual delivery," Plagg said, smirking. "I must admit he does really push those puns out really well sometimes."

"I can agree," Marinette giggled, holding his chin a bit and bringing his face close to meet his eyes. "They're really _cat-chy_ when you get past the obnoxiousness of them," she smirked, winking at him.

"Tikki, we've made history, I think, I can't remember a previous ladybug who took to the puns so much!" Plagg groaned. "I can't work with all this competition."

"Well, I guess you'll have to find a new hobby! Besides eating cheese, that is," Tikki giggled.

Marinette looked over at a nearby clock. "Okay, you two. Time to go back into hiding. Mister Agreste could come in at any minute now."

Adrien sat up, bracing his elbows on his knees as he watched the door expectantly. God, what would he say to his father? Was there anything he could really say? How would his father treat showing up to him out of the blue? The door of the old mansion began to shift as it was opening. There, in the doorway, Gabriel Agreste stood. His eyes landed on first Marinette before settling on his son. "Adrien, hello," he said. "Miss Dupain-Cheng, hello as well."

Both of the kwamis made it safely to their hiding spots just in time. Marinette looked up to see the man standing there. "Oh, uh, hello, sir," she began. "You've been gone for a while. We were worried that something bad might have happened..."

"Ah, yes. I apologize that I didn't manage to get a message back to you sooner but the situation didn't present too many opportunities for me to do so. Luckily, everything came out in my favor. I've helped an associate of mine so I've done my share of good for today," he said. "I did not mean to frighten you both so much but I'm flattered you both would take the time to wait for me."

"Oh, uh, that's okay," she nodded. "But, um..." She paused, not knowing what to say next. She glanced over at Adrien to see his face.

Adrien scanned Gabriel's face before shifting up, leaning his weight on his elbows, "Father... if I may, I'd... I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Yes. What is it?"

Adrien swallowed softly but placed a firmness on his features. "Which one of your associates did you go to visit?"

Gabriel remained to stand as if he were stone. "I meet with an unspeakable number of people constantly, Adrien. The Agreste logo has never been larger than it is now. It requires a few instances where I must slip away unnoticed."

Adrien swallowed again, though he struggled this time, feeling something hit the pit of his stomach. "Father... what about the various art institutions that are being attacked? What about those?"

Gabriel raised an amused eyebrow. "Adrien, are you afraid that these tragic losses of art are going to hurt us somehow? Please. My collection is stored away safely. Rather, they're growing in worth because of this. Even more, one of the reasons I hurried to help my associate was over this very matter so I am very well aware of recent events."

"Yes, but Father, you were gone for an entire week without even a word to me. I was afraid that..." he shook his head. "You never even left a message. You vanished; like a ghost. You were there one moment in your office and gone the next!"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "You went back to my office?"

Adrien closed his eyes. "That's not the point. Where did you go?"

"Adrien, you have no power to question me like this. You begged for your freedom to do as you wish and I've given it to you. What has you coming back, groveling like a sick puppy?"

Marinette's eyes widened. "Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but Adrien had been worried about you. You're still his father and you two are family. I hate to see him worry so much about you... And I guess the reason Adrien is a little struck is that he was concerned and you're acting like it isn't as big of a deal as it really is," she finished, her face flushed.

Gabriel fell silent, although expressionless. There came a brooding air before it all vanished with a sigh. "Fine, I understand that it was not the easiest thing to deal with, yet still. I am an Agreste and I know how to take care of myself. You, Adrien, also are an Agreste, so you too must learn to do the same."

Adrien pressed his hands together. "Father, really... I was just very scared to have you disappear so suddenly. And now you're back without a warning to that either."

Gabriel took off his jacket and hung it up on the hook nearby. "I see," he said before waiting a few minutes. "I'm famished. Would the two of you care to stay for dinner or is there somewhere you need to be?"

Marinette blinked a few times. "Um..." she looked to Adrien.

"I'd... I'd like to run up to my room and pick something up first if you wouldn't... wouldn't mind."

Gabriel nodded, stepping from the door. "Alright, then. I will start preparing the meal."

"Alright," he nodded.

Once Gabriel left the room for the kitchen, Marinette and Adrien hurried to his old room. Marinette shut the door. As she returned to Adrien, she sighed in relief. "Do you think that... Maybe he was working for...?" she started.

Adrien sat on the edge of his bed, his arms wrapped around his torso and his face downcast. "I... I don't know. He couldn't, could he? No, he couldn't consciously work for... No, I can't see it..."

She plopped down beside him, leaning against him gently. "Me neither... But maybe Hawkmoth is trying to confuse us? He's tricked us a bunch these past few weeks."

"It could be anything, really..." Adrien murmured. "We won't know if we don't find Hawkmoth and get him to talk about it. That has proved difficult, though. Besides, it's not like we could have a casual conversation with him or anything. That'd be absurd."

Plagg popped his little head out. "Why don't you try thinking ahead of him?" the kwami asked. "You know, figure out where he'd go next."

"Well, two of the attacks involved art. Do you think he could be looking for an art piece?" she sighed, shrugging a bit. She rested her head on Adrien, opening her bag so Tikki could escape. Tikki floated to Marinette's shoulder, snuggling against her wielder's cheek.

Plagg took a seat on Adrien's other shoulder, setting his little hands on his chin. Adrien was silent for a few moments before glancing at all three of them. "Look at us; one happy, little family," he decided in a whisper. "I like it."

"Me too," she said, smiling as her arms wrapped around his waist. "Tikki and Plagg are our fairy godparents. I'm Cinderella and you're my Prince Charming. At the end of the story, Cinderella and the prince got married and the fairy godparents decided to live with them forever," she chuckled, looking up at her prince.

"Please, if anyone is charming, it's you, bug-a-boo," he cooed, nestling against her and feeling her warmth, smiling before he blushed, "Marriage... oh, boy... that's a whole other exciting step in our story," he brought his hands up. "Us... married? Mister and Missus Agreste..."

"I'm sure you'd make a lovely husband," she told him. "But the best thing has to be all the designers who will want to work with me after the whole name change ordeal," she teased, looking up at him with a smirk.

"Hey, the name of Dupain-Cheng should receive some recognition, too. No-one in Paris possesses the ability to bake like you and your parents," he said, smiling widely and kissing her cheek softly. "You'd make a wonderful wife yourself, you know."

"I know, but right now I'd rather stay young," she giggled, closing her eyes as she laid her head down on his shoulder once more.

Tikki looked to Marinette and then to Adrien. "Why do humans get married?"

Adrien glanced up at the spotted kwami, smiling widely. "Getting married is like... hmm... like... the most meaningful way to tell a person that you love them and that, regardless of what happens, you will always keep them inside of your heart. You know?" He looked at his hand and saw the ring on his hand, "It's a promise. Just like our Miraculouses are a promise to protect those around us from anything that would try to hurt them."

"Awh, that's very sweet!" she cooed, giggling as Marinette stared at the little kwami.

"Can kwamis fall in love?" Marinette asked quite curiously.

Tikki looked up at the dark-haired girl. "Umm, I'm not sure. I guess they could, but it's never really happened before."

Plagg glanced over at Marinette at the sound of her question before listening to Tikki's response and turning his attention away from them to conceal a sigh.

Adrien smiled at Tikki. "Ah, who knows. I mean, how many times have Chat Noir and Ladybug fallen in love together throughout history?"

"Well, some of them fall in love, but others don't get too involved with each other. I remember one pair grew to the point where they became enemies," Tikki let out a soft little sigh, shaking her head.

"Man... that's heartbreaking... enemies?" The very thought of it made Adrien cringe, "No, I couldn't. thank God Mari and I aren't enemies," he murmured. "I think... I think that would be the end of me..."

"Awh, c'mon Tikki! Isn't there a happy ending?" she whined, pouting.

"When the two figured out their identities, it was revealed that they worked at the same café together! It took a while, but things got better. They became fine with it, but there was always a sense of tension. Wayzz could tell," Tikki finished, adding to her little tale.

Adrien carefully wrapped his arms around Marinette. "I could never consider Marinette an enemy. I have only love for you, Mari," he promised before sighing. "At least... that ending, neither of them... you know, got hurt... still... it's mind-boggling to me. Chat Noir should always love Ladybug."

"This Ladybug used to have a deep crush for the past Chat Noir, though," Tikki explained. "When she confessed to him, he refused. This Chat was serious about his work and didn't see any point in love, but I think he liked her! As a civilian at least.

"Man, all these different pairs... it makes you think about just how lucky we are to have the kind of relationship we do," he said before smiling and leaning over to kiss the top of Marinette's head. He took in her warmth and how comforting it happened to be to him. It was so special to him. She was so special to him.

"Mmhmm," Marinette giggled, leaning up to grant him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so thankful."

Tikki watched the two, eyes gleaming. "Awh! Aren't they cute, Plagg?" she giggled, holding her little nubs.

Plagg crossed his own little numbs. "Yeah, great. They're really going for making other people jealous of them," he murmured.

Adrien smiled softly and took her hands into his, entwining his fingers with hers.

Marinette allowed the motion, pressing her forehead against his own. Her eyes opened a bit when she heard the little kitten's statement. She winked, a little smirk on her lips. "Like yourself?"

Plagg's little cheeks went as red as Tikki. "What? No! You can't make me jealous. I'm already too in love with cheese," he grumbled although he did let slip a glance over to Tikki.

Tikki blinked a few times, cocking her head a bit in wonder. It was hard for her to process the concept of a kwami having a crush. Marinette rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! It'll make you feel better if you'd just admit it!"

Plagg shivered nervously. "How can you be so... no, shouldn't you be cuddling," he said, turning his little body away and crossing his little arms.

Tikki, unaware of what the two were rambling about, flew to Plagg and captured him in a big hug. "Awh! It's okay to want to date cheese like humans do!"

Plagg's entire face went as red as Tikki. "I- I- uhh... I..."

Marinette let out a soft laugh, rolling her eyes at how clueless the spotted kwami could be. She made a little fist and held it out to Adrien. "Bien joué," she whispered before winking.

Adrien couldn't help but chuckle. "He's so helpless..." he whispered, "Poor Plagg." He quickly balled his hand and met her fist.

Marinette placed a gentle kiss to his lips, sitting up. "Didn't you say you needed something from here?" she asked as the red kwami released Plagg.

"I just said that because... I wanted a chance to talk to you... you know... I'm still not sure what to think about all of this."

"I get it," she said, returning to her previous position. "Do you think you'll be okay with eating with him? I honestly didn't know he cooked at all..."

"He certainly never cooked for me," he muttered. "Maybe he meant that he'd tell the chef to make something."

"Probably," she chuckled. "Your house feels more inviting when you're here. I feel like a princess living in a castle," she smiled, closing her eyes.

"Oh, goodness, I'm glad. It doesn't feel empty and lonely when you're with me in there."

"Mmhmm! When the princess is beside her brave knight, the sky will always be blue," she told him, remembering his special nickname he gifted to her.

"Ah, yes, my dearest princess deserves only the best and that's why this knight is ready to do whatever it takes to see her happy," he giggled.

"Awh! Stop being so sweet!" she cooed, wrapping her arms around her knight's neck to give him a kiss.

He laughed. "It's my job. A wonderful job!" he said, kissing her back softly. "I could ask for no other calling."

Plagg wanted to gag at it but at the same time, it made him feel kind of heartbroken, too.

Tikki caught how Plagg felt uncomfortable and decided to act, "We'll give you two some privacy!" she giggled, taking Plagg's paw and zipping away.

Plagg made a noise as he was suddenly dragged away. "Tikki, you didn't have to do that. I would have... survived."

"Awh, don't worry! Now you can survive with me!" she giggled.

Plagg, in a response, made a nervous noise, "That's not bad... I wouldn't mind that. Thanks, Tikki."

"Of course!" Tikki beamed.

Plagg held his little nubs together nervously, glancing back off in the direction of the Adrien and Marinette, "They're something, those two..."

"I think they're sweet! Human love has always been one of my favorite topics! It's like I'm watching a real fairytale!"

Plagg glanced over at his fellow, spotted kwami, "Really? You think it's a nice sort of thing to go through?"

"Well, yeah! I've seen lots of humans fall in love. I think it's natural for them. And if it makes them smile, I'll smile too!" Tikki cheered.

"I wonder if... if us kwamis could do that..." Plage murmured, wondering if what he was feeling was wrong.

"You think so? I mean, we do have emotions just like humans, but I don't have any experience with this 'love' stuff, so I couldn't tell you much."

Plagg tried to play a little bit of his cat-charm on her, trying to make seem like a casual question. "Do you think you'd be able to tell if another kwami had it in for you like Chat Noir did for Ladybug."

"Hmm, don't know! It depends on how obvious they are. Wait a second... Are you implying that a kwami likes me like humans like other humans?"

"Pff! Nah, I mean, what are the odds of that? There aren't many of us left so it's extremely unlikely that could ever be the case," he said, attempting to sound assuring.

"That's true! But if I were to like any of my friends, I'd pick all of them because I love them all equally!" she giggled, swirling around in the air.

Plagg sighed. "That's a really good philosophy, Tikki. Really nice. I'm sure that's the reason everyone likes hanging around you, too."

"Hey..." she murmured, looking over to him. "You're not saying that you don't think people like you, right? I like being around you. I know you're a good person. There are thousands of years of proof for that."

"What? No, no. It's just... Nah... I've been the bearer of bad luck for so long that it's starting to weigh on me and I don't know how to handle it."

"Ah, I see. You should hang out with me more! Then you will feel more balanced," the spotted kwami smiled, capturing him in a hug once again.

He made a soft noise, content with the hug. Even though the little cat-kwami's cheeks were as red as Ladybug's suit, he still had enough in him to carefully wrap his little arms around his fellow kwami. "Thanks, Tikki. You're right there with Camembert, you know?"

"Awh! Such an honor!" she giggled as she let him free to see his face. "You're high on my list, too, Plagg!"

He was afraid she'd be able to interpret his blush, but he held up as confident as he could. "I'm glad; we've been partners for a long time. It's been more enjoyable than Camembert. It's especially hard when we have to be silent when we're right beside each other..."

"I know, but at least you're right beside me now!" Tikki told him, smiling back through the cracked door at her wielder and her boyfriend on the couch. She loved to see Marinette so happy.

He smiled softly. "Yeah. That's something to look at..." he murmured, glancing over. "They're love-sick kittens, those two..." Adrien also looked very happy and even a bit relaxed too. That was something he rarely saw when Adrien with all the stress of his high school activities. Plagg even found himself leaning into Tikki. "Yeah, they're pretty _paw_ -dorable."

Tikki realized right then that he needed comfort. She was clueless as to why, but Plagg seemed to want to be around her so why complain? Tikki giggled as she heard his little pun, leaning a little closer as well. "They sure are!"


	17. Be Our Guest Twice?

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 17**

Several minutes had passed since their kwamis retreated into the hallway with the intent of allowing them privacy. Both of them spent time exchanging glances, silently sharing their ideas about what the little kwamis could be discussing. Marinette especially tried to listen in with piqued interest. After a while, she glanced over at Adrien. "Do you think he will be okay with being alone with Tikki?"

Adrien shrugged. "I'm not sure but Plagg really has fallen head over paws in this one. I don't know he knows how to really handle what he's feeling," he said.

Marinette pressed her forehead to his chest. "He reminds me of a cat I once knew, so _head over paws_ in love."

"What are you talking about? I'm still head over paws for you, princess!"

"I know, Kitten. Just teasing," she smirked, kissing his cheek.

He laughed. "I know. You have such a wonderful way of doing it, too, you know."

She sat up a bit, stretching before glancing at the clock. "When do you think your father will come back?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we should go look for him," Adrien murmured. "I hope that nothing has happened to him again."

"Yeah," she said, sitting up fully. "The last thing we need is another problem on our hands. If Hawkmoth keeps distracting us like this, we might never be able to get ahead of him, but we also need to protect the citizens. I made a promise to protect them all and I intend to keep that promise."

He placed his arm around her. "Hey, and I know you'd never do anything to endanger them, too. You're their compassionate protector and that's what I love about you," he said, before smirking. "Among other things, of course." Adrien stretched before standing and offering his hand to Marinette to help her up.

She took his hand, pulling herself up with ease. "Why thank you," she giggled, rolling her eyes. "But really, it's just simple logic that the innocent should be protected."

"I know, but you've sacrificed so much for them and you receive very little in return, and when they try to do so, you're always so humble about it," he said, holding onto her hand and kissing it. "C'mon, let's head over to the kitchen, yeah?"

"Yeah," she said softly, her cheeks painted red.

The two kwamis had taken notice that their wielders had risen from the bed so they flew into the room. "Don't forget about me, Mari!" Tikki said, zipping to hide in her pink bag.

Plagg flew around Adrien's head. "Ready to go, sunshine boy?" he squeaked, zipping inside of his jacket pocket. Adrien laughed, before walking with his beloved into the back part of the mansion. They came to the kitchen, where Gabriel helped the chef prepare the meal they were to have. Adrien had to stand stupidly to make sense of what was happening for his father was not one to inconvenience himself like this.

Marinette blinked at the sight. Judging by Adrien's look, it seemed that this was a new experience for the both of them. She squeezed his hand. "I think our worries might have caused him to feel just a bit of guilt," she whispered to the blond.

"I have a feeling that sudden road trip changed him," Adrien said before frowning and glancing behind him. "I know it's a strange thing to say to a positive display like this, but this is definitely not like my father and it has me concerned."

"Yeah. Maybe someone hypnotized him?" she shrugged. "But for now, let's just keep a close eye on him."

"That's always possible. Who knows if Hawkmoth has gotten himself some new powers or not," he said, shivering. "I'm still not sure if my father... and... yeah..."

"I know. Here, let's sit down," she told him, taking his hand as she guided them to the table. As Marinette sat down she motioned for Adrien to take the chair beside her and he did so, crossing his fingers and resting his chin on the top.

Eventually, Gabriel silently strode over. "I'm not quite sure what sort of meals you are used to, Marinette, but I've decided that we will have a lovely Bœuf bourguignon with a creamy Gougère on the side. It should be a perfect dish to have after being away for so long."

"That sounds perfect. Thank you, sir," she said, smiling at the idea of him caring about what she was going to eat, or at least a little bit.

"Wonderful, I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you've tasted it," Gabriel said before offering a polite smile to the two of them. He went back to the chef and his duties.

Once he made sure, Gabriel had moved out of range of hearing him, Adrien ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Why is this bothering me?"

Marinette let out a soft little sigh. "Well. You might not be used to it but every bad feeling you've had so far is connected to Hawkmoth, so I wouldn't doubt that this involves him."

"I don't know. it seems way too out of place. My father arrives home from a business trip after freaking disappearing from his office without a trace? You remember we found a metal brooch on his desk, right?" he said. "Hawkmoth has been engaging in these distractions, keeping us from what's really going on," he whispered very softly, leaning closer to her.

"We just need one clue to put everything together," she sighed softly, keeping her voice at a whisper. "But what? It's not like Hawkmoth will just drop the obvious into our hands."

"My fear is that we just might not be able to keep up," he said. "Before, he was in one place a lot of the time so it was just a matter of following his trail of Akumas back to him, but this time-" he said before stopping in the middle of his sentence to start a new one. "...I really need to learn how to take notes again if I'm going to survive college, you know?" The reason why he stopped was that he saw Gabriel approaching them in his peripheral vision.

Gabriel carried already-made plates to them as their meals and he set them down in front of each of the college students. "Bon Appétit," he announced. "I sincerely hope you'll enjoy it."

Adrien put on a model's smile, "Of course I will, Father, thank you."

"Yes, thank you, sir," Marinette said with a little nod. When she looked down at the food, she realized just how fancy Adrien's life was. She knew he was a model, but she didn't think he lived like a prince. Still, Adrien had to deal with the novelty of having his own father bring him his food. Something he'd considered severely impossible when he was in high school. It was either Gorilla or, occasionally, Nathalie who brought his food to her room. He looked over at Marinette to wonder at her thoughts on how he lived but he could already get a grasp on it just by how she looked at the food.

Though everything was fancy and all, Marinette still felt a sense of home to it all. Probably because Adrien was there but also because of the food. Her family would go to this really nice four-star restaurant around New Years and her father would always order the Bœuf Bourguignon. Marinette never tried it herself but judging by her father's taste, it would most definitely be great. She turned her head just a bit to find Adrien looking at her and giggled.

He quickly looked down at his own fork, poking at his meal loosely before meekly looking back up at her. "I hope this doesn't make you think I'm over-privileged, Marinette. This is just the kind of thing I have to eat all the time because it's what Father wants me to," he sighed, expecting the meal to taste bland and loveless like it had been for so many years. Sure, the cook was great, but it lacked something that Adrien had found in the Dupain-Chengs' bakery. No, not sweets (as much as he wished he could have those occasionally) but something else.

"Oh, Adrien," she said smiling a gentle, loving smile, reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder. "Money doesn't matter, you know? I care about you."

He smiled at her. "Have I ever told you how perfect you are, Mari?" he chuckled softly before glancing over at his father, who was talking quietly with the chef. It didn't seem to be about anything too important. "Why decide to change now? It doesn't make sense."

"No idea." She looked to her fork and picked it up, poking it into a piece of meat. "It could be that he did get kidnapped and is just a little traumatized, which could explain his need to change up your life a bit. But at this point, I'm just putting out random theories."

"I have no way of getting him to tell me about it, either. Maybe if Nathalie was here or even Gorilla, I'd get a clue," Adrien murmured, slipping a piece of meat into his mouth and chewing on it softly. "God, I'm terrible at investigations," he sighed. "And why can't things be as cut-and-dry as they used to be in high school. This change is both a blessing and a curse."

"Agreed," she said simply before taking in the piece of meat and chewing it. After a few bites, her mind went back to the paintings she saw in the burning building.

Adrien glanced up at her, almost as if he had a hunch what she was thinking. "Maybe we need to retrace our steps. You know, recall every event thus far and kind of build something off of it. There's got to be a reason behind the madness."

"That sounds nice. We could try to look around the Louvre tomorrow. There might be some clues if we look hard enough."

"It's a date, then," he said, letting a soft smirk show as finished the last few bites of his meal. "Oh, you know, I think it might be fun to bring Alya and Nino along with us for the heck of it. That way we could look around and have fun, too. What do you think? I especially don't mind if you just want it to be the two of us together."

After finishing and hearing his words, she smirked. "Now, now, Kitty, we must be kind to our guests," she teased. "But after our little adventure, I'm all yours."

Adrien smirked. "Yes, we need to show them the Agreste hospitality flavored with the gracious Dupain-Cheng touch as well," he chuckled, taking the final bite of his meal.

"Sounds pleasant," she giggled. Once the two finished their meal, Marinette stood up. "Ready to go? I still have classes tomorrow, you know," she crossed her arms with the little smirk still taking over her lips.

"Oh, oh, right," he said, standing up and smiling at her. "Luckily, the Louvre managed to get the funding to extend its hours so we don't have to rush when we're there. And then we can get home," he said, smirking. He slipped his jacket on. "We're leaving, Father!" he called.

Marinette was wearing her sweater, so there wasn't much need for a jacket for the bug. Adrien's jacket made him seem a little older in a way, she thought. "Thank you for letting me stay a bit, Mister Agreste!" she added after Adrien.

"Goodbye," Gabriel's reply came simply. It was concise and polite but nothing more.

Adrien headed out the door and started walking back towards the hotel across from the university. "That's definitely something I want to look into, though."

Marinette followed the boy, tilting her head. "Look into what?" she asked as she found his hand and held it with a soft touch.

"Oh, uh, where my father really went. If he was kidnapped or otherwise. I just don't know where to start."

"Mmm," she nodded, looking down the pathway as she walked. "I'm sure we will find some sort of explanation once we figure out some pieces to this puzzle."

The walk to the hotel was at least very calming for Adrien and he approached it with a sort of excitement to see his friends. Only then did it strike him. "Uh, do you know what room they're staying in? I thought we could surprise them."

"Yep! Top floor, room B27," she winked. "And Alya also told me that she keeps a spare keycard under the doormat, which is weird considering it being a hotel room and all."

"Old habits die hard?" he guessed, shrugging as he shifted course to the nearest elevator. "I guess she gets away with it because no-one would expect her to do it at a hotel, of all places."

"Guess so," she giggled, stepping up to the elevator and pressing a button with an arrow pointing up. A childish grin overtook Marinette's features as the light from the button came to life. Her eyes glowed in amazement at the sight of the elevator doors opening up for them.

He could read the amusement on Marinette from just pressing the button and it made him laugh. "Someone is particularly fond of buttons, it would seem?"

"Possibly, but at least I don't play with yarn," she smirked. Soon enough, the door opened and the girl stepped inside the elevator car, hovering two fingers over the button that would bring them to the top floor.

Adrien slipped in behind her, pouting almost. "Hey, but I find yarn soft. Plus, you make it do all sorts of little dances."

"Sure, Kitten," she laughed, pushing the button to the top floor. "But it can also be used for making a homemade scarf or a sweater," she added, finding her place next to him once again.

"Well, you can make it into those things, but I lack the necessary skill so playing with it is more than enough of a use for me," he countered, smiling widely as he wrapped his arms around her mid-section. "I do think you're softer than yarn, though."

"Good, any competition has to go," she winked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're pretty soft yourself, Kitty. I bet I could knit you into a nice, warm scarf in a couple of hours."

"Oh, boy. That sounds like it'd take some charm, definitely," he said, hearing the elevator come to its destination. He smiled softly. "Do you think Nino and Alya will be surprised to see us or do you think Alya's already used her crystal ball to predict our arrival?"

Marinette chuckled, walking out of the elevator and onto the carpet floor of the hallway "Unless Alya had some sort of video camera that stalks everyone that enters the building, I think she will be pretty surprised."

"We'll have to see," he murmured, going to the door Marinette had told him. He came to it and gently knocked on it, eager to see the reaction they might get from showing up surprised.

Alya opened the door, she was wearing a t-shirt with an orange flower on it and her glasses were off for once. "Mari? Adrien? What are you two doing here?" her eyes widened before groaning. "Nino! You better have not posted that picture I took this morning!" she yelled.

Marinette paused for a moment, then blinked wildly "Huh? Picture?" she blushed.

Adrien put on his model smile. "Oh, uh, Hey, Alya. We were just in the neighborhood and thought you might have wanted to go to the Louvre with us this evening. You know, get out of the old hotel room for once."

Nino appeared by Alya's side. "Thank God you're here! This place is so boring. You could drag me anywhere and I'd be fine, honestly," Nino chuckled.

Alya laughed, her stance changing into one of relief. "Oh! Well, sure! Just forget about the whole picture thing."

Adrien couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to her little command, but he did brush it off. "Well, see, it's good that we've come, then. We'll give you two a few moments to freshen up and then we'll go."

"Mmhmm! But if you don't delete whatever you took, you're dead, Missy," Marinette warned.

"Ooh, Mari's got some fire. I like it. Plus, Nino made me delete it before I could get my proof," Alya pouted as Nino dragged her into the room.

"It's for your own good, you crazy stalker!" he laughed, closing the door.

"Adrien is lost in this conversation and that's more than likely a good thing," he said before clapping his hands. "C'mon, folks, we've got a date with wonderful art ahead of us!"

"Yeah, yeah, we're hurrying," Alya called to them.

Marinette looked up at her boyfriend, her mind suggested that it would take a few minutes for them to get ready, so she wrapped her arms around him in a little hug.

Adrien looked over at her before smiling warmly at her. She was always so lovely. It was amazing that he had the blessing of being a part of her life. She made him always feel loved and never alone. He wrapped a gentle arm around her waist as he leaned the side of his head on the top of her dark hair.

Marinette smiled as she tightened her grip a bit. "I love you," she whispered. She closed her eyes in a moment of reflection.

He kissed the top of her head, running his hand up and down her back affectionately. "I love you, too, bug-a-boo," he whispered back. "More than I could ever put into words."

"I believe it," she giggled. "When we get back home could we just lay in bed for a while?"

"Absolutely. We've been running non-stop for a while now. All this stress isn't good for either of us," he said softly. "Cuddling sounds like a wonderful way to relax for a while. Just me and you. We'll leave the rest of the world outside for a few hours."

"Sounds perfect," she whispered before a groan came from behind them.

"Earth to lovebirds," Nino said, waving his hand in front of them.

Alya just laughed. "Just kiss already!"

Marinette's eyes shot open like a bullet smashing into a glass window. "Hey! Leave us alone! You probably do this stuff all the time!" Marinette pouted, her blush growing by the minute, but she stood her ground and didn't break away from their embrace.

Adrien paid no heed to their teases for the moment, looking at the blushing girl for a moment as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. "I kinda want to," he giggled for a moment before looking at the two of his friends. "I'm kind of curious, though. I don't believe I've seen you two ever kiss before."

"Oh, hell no, Agreste. You are not starting a make-out party," Alya said, crossing her arms.

Nino shrugged. "I'm down," he said coolly before Alya gave him a light punch in the arm.

"Who needs art when you have beauty personified in your arms?" Adrien said, almost in a dramatic, Shakespearean manner as he laughed. "Though that wasn't my intended goal, as long as it's with Marinette, I wouldn't mind."

"Damn, Adrien sure has some charm," Alya said, smirking at Marinette.

"All part of the model package," Nino added.

Adrien chuckled, "Thanks, guys, really, but I mean it all. Marinette's a goddess. Did you guys know that?"

"Guess that makes me and Alya angels, huh?" Nino chuckled, slinging an arm around the blogger.

Marinette giggled. "And Adrien's a dork. Did you guys know that?" she said before reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss his nose.

"Oh, well, dorks are pretty awesome, all things considered," Adrien mused in return.

"Very true," Marinette told him, returning her heels back to the ground.

"Listen, it looks like the two of you haven't had enough time for each other. Trust me, I'm an expert on these things. Don't doubt it either, because, for all you know, I'm absolutely right," Alya declared. "Nino and I have had a hell of a day and as much as a day staring at colors splattered all over a sheet of paper in cool ways sounds enjoyable, I'd like to be focused enough to notice each color first. And that requires sleep. So, you two shove off an go cuddle in the bedroom. Nino and I can sleep on the couch since it's a pullout."

Adrien blinked a few times before letting his hold on Marinette falter briefly. "You sure, Alya? When I meant we were your guests now, I didn't mean that I intended on stealing your room from you."

The red-headed reporter rolled her eyes and nearly shoved the both of them into the room at this rate. "Don't get modest with me, Agreste. You take what we give you. Go recite poetry to each other or something. You both look like you'll lose your heads if you don't."

Marinette squeaked but didn't have a lot in the way of combating Alya's decision. Before they knew it, the door shut behind them and they were left in the room alone. Marinette sighed before strolling over to the bed and sitting on the edge. "Well, so much for our plans."

The model moved to sit beside her, letting his hands fall in his lap as he stared at the door. "They sure have it going for us, don't they?"

Marinette glanced off away from Adrien, letting an embarrassed sigh out. "Heh, yeah. The moment Alya caught wind of my, well, crush for you, she never let it go for very long after that. It became a constant reminder some days and the fact that I couldn't spit a sentence out without, you know, stuttering like I was mad, it didn't help my self-esteem some days."

"Ouch," he said. "Nino really never said anything from my recollection."

"I always assumed he knew the same things that Alya did, for obvious reasons," she told him, waving a hand up toward the door. "Though, Nino is nowhere as intrusive as Alya is."

"Alya never let me in on the secret."

"Yeah, but she teased me day and night about it. A lot of the times you found me in the strangest places happened to be because Alya had a master plan to get you to notice me. They ended up being pretty elaborate at times. They never really stuck, though. An Akuma always showed up out of nowhere and there wasn't a lot anyone could do at that point. It stopped being so much about you and more about Ladybug saving people."

"And that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm nowhere near as important as the safety of the rest of Paris."

"I know that," she said, lightly punching Adrien's arm. "Still, there were times you were all I thought about, even as Ladybug, since I had no idea whether or not you were okay and, heh, I really didn't have a way of knowing until Chat came around and he told me that it had been handled."

He shrugged. "It definitely could've been worse, I'm sure."

"Yeah, I guess so. You sure know how to give me heart attacks, though."

Again, he shrugged, although there was a great deal of flattery bleeding out his movement. "What can I say? I'm good at staying in peoples' minds apparently."

"Yeah, when your face is plastered on almost every single billboard in Paris, it's really tough."

He held up his hands. "Hey, that isn't my doing. That's totally my dad's doing."

She chuckled before letting her head fall against his shoulder. "I know. It must be hard knowing you could have a swarm of people rushing over you wanting your attention."

"All it's done is make me a really great ninja," he mused, smirking.

"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes. "You can sneak your way out of every situation, huh?"

"Well, probably. Some are harder than others, but I do a pretty good job."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, kitten," she laughed before having to stifle a yawn. "You can talk yourself up more tomorrow. I have school, remember? That means I have to be up a lot earlier than our little trip to the Louvre will have to wait until I'm done with that."

He sighed softly. "Hey, but that wouldn't be fair to you. You have to leave and I get to sleep in," he murmured. "Well, I guess I should get as much sleep as I can now since I start classes next week anyway," he said. "I bet you're happy tomorrow is Friday though. You're gonna have to help me prepare for Monday."

"Don't worry! I'll have you all set by Monday," she giggled. "I'll need to know what classes you will be taking, though. Hopefully, we will have a few classes together. It would make things a lot easier with getting used to the place."

"Yeah, I'll get that for you. No worries there," he assured her. "And, I really do hope so. I don't think I'll survive spending an entire day full of classes away from you. It might end up driving me mad."

"Oh, you poor, helpless kitten," she teased. "Don't worry, nothing will keep us apart," she murmured, tapping his nose with a finger. "Besides, we live together now and we'll come home about the same time, too."

"Sounds _purr-fect_ to me, bug-a-boo," he giggled. "Here, let's get up and I'll see about getting you some breakfast before you go. I hope Alya and Nino have something here, at the very least."

"Okay," she yawned, sitting up as she rubbed her eyes. "By the way. I had a small idea for Alya. Do you think she would like a visit from the bug herself?"

"An exclusive visit from Ladybug? Nothing would make her world happier except becoming her own hero like she said," he whispered, glancing towards the living room.

"Good," she chuckled. "I've met with her before, but I thought it would be a nice opportunity to inform the citizens that they should stay cautious. I'm not exactly sure how big of a threat this all is, but we can't risk it. Plus, I'm sure an interview will keep Alya in the positive side of the job. Especially if she's the only one who knows news like this."

"That gets us a lot done, huh," he said. "Awesome thinking. Just be sure to let Alya know to handle the warning a bit carefully. If people don't already know about it, hearing about Hawkmoth being back might spook a few people."

"I figured, I'm gonna bring up how I promised we would protect the people of Paris a long time ago," Marinette told him before sighing, flopping onto the pillows again. "Why did I get all the credit for that moment? I guess I kinda seemed cool, standing on the Eiffel Tower and all, but you were the one who inspired me. You reminded me that I was something and you deserved to be up there by my side."

"Hey, maybe it's because I'm meant to play from the sidelines. You inspire people more than you could ever realize. What really caught the eyes of the people was how you translated that inspiration I gave you into confidence and dedication. That's what people look to. You haven't once stepped away from the promise. That's one of the many things that make you so wonderful."

"The spotlight can fit two, Kitty. It bugs me that some people think of you as a sidekick," she said, sitting up and crossing her arms with a little pout on her face. "There is no way you're a sidekick. You're my partner. We're a team. A superhero duo. I couldn't save the day without you. Sidekicks could be thrown, honestly. But we work together in a way that I believe should be thought of as pure teamwork."

"I get enough attention in my civilian form to make up for lost time," he said before sighing. "Even though it's not quite the same kind of attention I'd like to get, I make do what with I get," he murmured. "I feel the same way, bug-a-boo, but I take a little bit of pride in watching you get the praise."

Her arms wrapped around him as she leaned against him. "Adrien..." she whispered. "I've always looked up to you, you know? You were the first to take action on our first battle. You had confidence and you still do now. I was so scared of screwing up. You're the only reason why I'm the way I am today."

"Nah," he sounded, waving a hand at her. "I'm sure Tikki would have gotten through to you eventually," he chuckled.

She groaned, letting him go. "Okay, I give up. Listen, cat, you're so damn inspiring and you better believe it or I'll transform and throw you off the Eiffel Tower!" she warned, poking him in the chest.

He reached over and took both of her hands into his. "Marinette, I understand what you're getting at. I really do," he said. "You're right, though. We're a duo, else I wouldn't have anyone to be so eager to inspire." He leaned over and softly pressed his lips to hers. "I give you inspiration; you give me purpose. You can throw me off the Eiffel Tower whenever you like as long as you give me the chance to prepare my swan-dive stance first."

"I'll make sure to grant you all the time you need. But for now. I'd like my kitten by my side instead of falling from the crown of Paris," she smirked before taking a finger and pulling on the collar of the model's shirt "I bet I could pull off wearing a shirt like that," she murmured, her head tilted.

He chuckled before smirking devilishly. "Who said you needed a shirt in the first place?" he asked so innocently before he chuckled. "Besides, where does that leave me? You want me to try and slip into your little tee? I'm afraid it might not able to hold up to this model."

She rolled her eyes. "Going shirtless suits you," she teased.

"Oh-ho, really?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "Glad to know all those years of fencing and jogging didn't go to waste." He scooted closer to her and stared into those bright blue eyes of hers before wrapping his arm around her waist and softly kissing her. "Love you, princess."

"Same to you, my knight," she hummed, pressing her lips to his. "And yes, those years went to a great cause," she winked, placing her hands on his shoulders, "I do have a little muscle myself. Thanks to the thrill of being Ladybug."

"Yeah, you're no longer that shy, small girl I used to know back in high school. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just that you've come so far since then; so long a time without me there."

"You were still in my heart the whole time. Nothing can change that. I like to think that all of that change into a more confident me was a preparation for your return."

"You need not flatter me like that, Mari," he murmured against her lips. "I appreciate the thought, though. I mean, look at the kind of girl I was simply blessed with! No amount of gold or silver could be given up to match your worth to me, Mari."

She leaned back just a bit. "Kitty, you have no idea how hard it is to meet your romance level. You're the one who comes up with the most romantic things to say, yet also the flirtiest. Either of them is hard to match up with when it comes to you, so I need to flatter you with all my heart and soul," she giggled.

"Listen, when you were practically forced to muse over poem after poem after poem after... yeah, you absorb a thing or two. Besides, what other outlet did I have to pursue romance? Ladybug was my outlet. I didn't spend hours coming up with the next big flirt just out of my own sheer entertainment." He let the statement sit before sending his eyes to look away. "Well, okay, I did get entertainment from thinking about how you'd end up reacting to them."

"Awh, I can just imagine you driving Plagg mad with all the puns," she chuckled, pushing some of his hair behind his ear. "You better be taking some kind of class that involves poetry or acting. You'd ace both of them in all honesty."

"Ooh, acting does sound fun. As for the poetry, I'm pretty sure if I took a class on that, I'd drive the teacher mad with all the things I'd end up writing about you."

"At least it would be good quality. I've tried writing poetry before, and it wasn't pretty. It was such a lame attempt at trying to impress you. At least you never got to see it," she smiled in relief. "Things from my high school years could've used some improvement."

He tilted his head. "Ah, don't say that. Yours was probably better than a lot of the kind of letters I got back then from raving fans. There was one I held onto. Well, I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much though. I never figured out who sent it to me 'cause it wasn't signed. I thought their poetry was really nice," he turned his head slightly, tilting his head as he thought about it. "I guess that's not really helping, is it?" he said. "You should write me some of your own poetry. I bet it's gorgeous."

Her face paled. "Wait. What did the letter look like? And do you remember what it said? I might know who sent you that letter," she murmured.

"Oh, uh, well," he started, his eyes shooting up to the corner of his face in thought. "It... it was heart-shaped. You know, the typical fashion. It was pink, too!" he said before blushing. "The handwriting was beautiful and the words, too..." He glanced at her. "God, I feel kind of bad now that I think about it. I mean, whoever wrote that letter, I never got to write a reply to them. I remember the poem, though," he said before looking up slightly. "Your hair shines like the sun, your eyes are gorgeous green, I look at you and wonder your innermost thoughts and dreams. Yes, your Valentine I will be, our love will be so true, together for eternity, my heart belongs to you."

Marinette listened until he fell silent. Her eyes looked at her eyes as the rush of hearing her words pour from his voice, sending shivers of pure emotion that she didn't think she'd ever experience. It took several moments for her to collect herself and look up at him. "Your hair as dark as night, your pretty bluebell eyes, I wonder who you are beneath that strong disguise. Every day we see each other and I hope you will be mine. Together our love could be so true. Please, will you be my Valentine?" she finished, whispering in a soft chuckle. "I didn't quite understand what my _strong disguise_ was until now."

The color drained from his face and his mouth hung open ever so slightly. It took him several moments to gather his thoughts. "Mari, how do you know about that in the first place?" he asked, shaking his head. "I... I tossed that letter out because I thought it wasn't any good."

She let out a soft sigh. "Well, I was curious about what you were writing during class, so I picked the letter up after you threw it away to see what it was. Tikki convinced me that the letter was for my civilian self, which inspired me to confess my feelings through a letter. But, I forgot to sign it," she blushed, rubbing her arm shyly.

"You... You replied to my Valentine and I... I didn't even realize it?" he murmured. "Awh, man... Marinette, if that isn't enough proof for us to know we're supposed to be soulmates, I don't know what is..." he laughed, holding his head before taking her up in a hug. "You made my day with that letter of yours, you have no idea."

"That was one of my intentions," she smiled warmly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you liked it. But, I have a question... how do you know the exact shade of my eyes? They seem just like any other type of blue to me."

He laughed a bit at that before he kissed her lips softly once more. "Hey, while Marinette was obsessing over Adrien, Chat Noir was obsessing over Ladybug. I wanted to know everything I could about Ladybug but I respected you too much to go behind your back and dig deeper. That... that wouldn't have been fair to you so I just focused on what I saw in you."

"You're quite the gentleman for an alley-cat," she teased before pausing to let her head rest against his chest. "I wonder what would have happened if I would've signed the card. I always forget to sign things," she sighed against him. "I did remember to sign one thing, though, but I never asked if you got it."

"Well, I think it was a little bug who held me to a certain degree of temperament," he mused. "I'm not sure what would have happened either, but I'm sure, regardless of what it would have been, it would have been a good thing. Though, I don't remember seeing anything signed by you. What was it?"

"It was like this old Santa hat that I styled up a bit. I, uh, would've made you a scarf, but I remembered that your father had gotten you one," she nodded quickly.

"Oh, yeah, I was kind of surprised my father got me anything let alone a scarf," he rubbed the back of his head. "As for the hat... Yeah, I... I got it but I didn't get to wear it for very long.."

"Don't worry, kitty," she chuckled a bit. "I only hoped to bring you a little joy with a gift that day. As long as you knew it was from me, I couldn't be happier," she giggled, pulling him into a little hug.

"You brought Plagg a lot of joy and coziness, too," he said. "I... kind of used your hat as a little bed for Plagg when he was suffering from the cold and being hungry, of course."

"Glad I could help," she said, winking before letting him go to walk over to the door, putting her ear up to it. "I've been in here way too long. I'm gonna steal whatever I can from their kitchen and Alya can whine at me all she wants. I know for a fact she's gonna tease me till I die, so I'm gonna steal her food," she told him.

"Do you think it's even safe to go out there? I'm afraid of what I might see if I go out there."

"I would stay in the bedroom if I were you," she said. "If you don't want to be skinned alive at least."

"Nino will probably end up nonchalantly giving me the entire rundown..." he said, holding his head dramatically. "Oh, boy, those two. God, they're a duo in their own right. How'd it happen? I don't remember them ever really having the sort of fanservice we did. Which one of them confessed first, I wonder?"

"Nino, obviously," she said, putting her back against the door so she could see him. "He seems like a softy to me. I bet he would get all shy when he told her, too."

"Nino? Shy? That'd be something I'd pay to see. I mean, he was the guy who made me talk to my classmates when I first arrived. Especially... you, a lot of times. Nino shoved me right towards you more than one might realize," he said before tilting his head.

"I remember when Nino had a crush on me. He could barely get a sentence out. God, that day sure was something. I actually thought that you were trying to ask me out. I was so nervous that I forced Alya to help by giving me advice over an earpiece."

"Oh, I do remember that! Man, I hadn't seen Nino so lost before! He was scared stiff to approach you about it. I was actually behind an earpiece giving him advice too..." he said. "God, the biggest shock had to be when he came out and said he had a crush on Alya... wait... does that mean Alya heard it over the earpiece?"

"Yup! Alya was pretty pissed when I requested a date for the two. Now that I think about all this, it's kinda funny how you tried to set me up with your best friend."

"He seemed really sincere about it, and my heart was with Ladybug, so... it was just me helping a friend out. I mean, after everything he did for me, it was the least I could do. What a story."

"There were so many iconic moments throughout our days. At least everything is sorted out now, so I'll make sure not to set Alya up with Chat Noir," she rolled her eyes, "Also, this weekend I'm teaching you about college parties. It's the most conflicting part of college."

"Parties?" he asked. "I've heard horror stories about some before... and wonderful tails of grandeur about others. Which one is right?"

"If you haven't heard about the party around classes, then it's probably just some girl trying to get in your pants, probably. If you know them well enough, it will be fine, but other times..." she sighed. "In pure honesty, I've only been to one party and Nathaniel told me not to go to it because it seemed suspicious. I should have trusted him because it was just me and this other guy who kept hitting on me, so I left. I learned that my situation wasn't too far from a lot of other people's experiences. In the simplest form, there are a few Chloés on campus."

"Oh, so we're finally seeing Chloé's grand scheme to unleash an army of her clones across Paris finally come to fruition?" he chuckled before centering his vision. "You don't have to worry about anybody coming up and hitting on you like that. Well, except maybe me but, yeah, anyone else and they'll have to go through this Agreste. And trust me, Chat's combat skills are one thing, but I also know a few things that Gorilla taught me in all of his silent... magnificence."

"I'm not worried about guys hitting on me," she shrugged. "That doesn't happen often, actually. But you're Adrien Agreste. Surely there will be a lot of attention from many girls, maybe even some guys, but just be careful okay? Life is easier when you're ordinary as Marinette goes and a big shot as Ladybug. Fame for me would take some getting used to, but it wouldn't be too hard to adjust to."

He paled at the realization she brought up to him. He really hadn't considered how the extent of his fame would impact him in an environment as volatile as college. Unlike high school, where everything was relatively maintained much like him being tutored in the safety of the mansion, a college would be vastly different and leave open many doors to troubles that Adrien himself had never faced, let alone considered. He blinked a few times.

"Don't worry, though. The professors usually don't address the new kid in the class. People leave and come almost every day, I realized that after one of my desk partners stopped coming to class."

"Just... stopped?" he asked. "That's scary to think about. What kind of wasteland is college like compared to the prairie days of high school?" he wondered softly before sighing and looking at her. "Hey, but as long as I get a few classes with you, I'm sure I'll be able to survive it pretty well. It's just approaching so fast now... just the weekend left... I don't want my father to be right. I'm having the same fear I did when I enrolled in high school."

"You're a superhero. We fight bad guys almost every day. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. If I can handle it and have time to make and sell clothes, you'll be fine," she smiled at him, holding the mug to her lips and taking a sip. The milk was dark chocolate, she noted.

He laid his head on her shoulder softly, smiling. "Hey, see? You hand out inspiration just as well as I do."

"Whatever you say, Kitty," she chuckled.

"Have I ever told you how happy it makes me feel inside when you call me that?" he asked.

"I'm sure you have, Kitty," she winked, flicking him in the forehead.

He rubbed the spot softly. "Man. I got flicked for saying how much I love my nickname," he sighed. "I don't think you've ever told you me how you feel about being called bug-a-boo?"

"I like it. Every one of your silly nicknames gives me a sense of importance. It makes me feel different from other people, if that makes any sense," she told him. tugging down her ponytail and brushing her fingers through her hairfor a moment, then began to search around the room for a brush or comb.

He crossed his arms, finding a sort of adorable amusement as he watched her scour the room for something to fix up her hair with. He smirked. "Having a little trouble, princess?"

"Maybe," she blushed, crossing her arms at the fact that Adrien was finding it cute. "But I can handle it. Nothing a little bug can't take," she told him, regaining her confidence with a little raise of the head.

"Alright, I'll just carry on watching, then," he smiled.

"Good," she giggled and continued her search. She eventually found a brush stuffed in one of the dresser drawers. Her hand grabbed it in victory, brushing out her slightly wavy, dark hair.

He laughed softly before he came over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing her cheek. "Good job, my lovely detective," he whispered.

Her blush returned to her cheeks. She reached her hand back and brushed her fingers across his cheek. "Thanks, Kitten."

"Now, are you all set to go out there and share the Dupain-Cheng love with the world?" he asked.

"Almost," she chuckled, walking over and sitting beside him. "By the way, there is a little secret that I haven't told you about yet."

Adrien tilted his head loosely, looking at her, showing a bit of intrigue at the sudden call to something he didn't know about. "Oh? What's up, milady?"

"Well, have you ever heard of _Le Petit Chaton_? The online store that sells feminine clothing? It has a big following, I guess?" she blushed, chuckling nervously.

"I suppose? What's so secretive about an online store... It's not like... inappropriate, is it?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "I mean if that's your secret... I'm not gonna hold it against you, but I don't want to know anything else about it."

"No, no! It's nothing like that!" she squeaked, waving her hands out before slumping and rubbing her arm. "I sort of own it? I started out by making a website to sell the things I made and called it _Le Petit Chaton._ After a while, it blew up on me and grew from there. I'm up to the point where I can't make every order myself, so I make one of the designs, then give it to a company who makes more and I get paid for it. I haven't told anyone my name or where I'm from, though. I guess I have two secret identities, huh?"

"Oh, well, I should have known from just _Le Petit Chaton_ alone that you were involved in it," he smiled. "Hey, remember back in high school how I said that your designs would grow to be bigger than even the Agreste fashion line?" he asked her. "Maybe, it's coming true through your little store."

"I know! There has actually been a few people requesting to be my agent, yet I've rejected them all because I want to get a degree before rushing into my career. It could ruin things for the business." she shrugged, hugging him gently.

"Hey, that's smart, Mari. Don't ever let anyone try and take advantage of you. I'm speaking from experience; it's one of the reasons my father decided to handle the business side of his fashion line all by himself. He didn't trust agents."

"Thanks, Kitty," she said, leaning up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. "Oh! And I haven't told anyone about this. Well, Alya knows what the store is, but doesn't know I'm the owner. I think I'm going to tell her after she joins our team, if she does at least."

"She's already let slip that it'd be a dream-come-true for her if she got the chance," he said. "I mean, we've gotten Master Fuu's blessing and we know she's interested so it's now just a matter of letting her know."

Marinette clicked the button on her cell phone, watching the little panel on the front f the phone light up with the time. "It's late enough now. If we don't get back, who knows when I'll get to sleep."

Adrien shrugged. "It's just a short walk down the street, Mari. Let's just crash here. Alya did tell us we have the bed to ourselves, didn't she?"

Marinette contemplated it for several moments before rolling her eyes and setting her phone down on the side table. "Okay, Mister Persuasive, you win this time. Your lucky I feel exhausted or I would have made you walk anyways," she told him, poking him in the chest before crawling up on the bed and laying on her back, arms crossed behind her head.

Adrien wasted no time in doing the same, curling up (not unlike a cat) beside his girlfriend and making a soft noise of contentment. "Don't worry, bug-a-boo. It'll be alright. One step at a time, right?"

She let out a big yawn before nodding, her eyes already drooping in fatigue. "Something like that, kitty."

Adrien smiled, glancing up at her. He watched her fall asleep before he closed his eyes and hummed softly. "Goodnight, Marinette."


	18. That Kind of Sleepover

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 18**

Both of them woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly well-rested. Marinette thought it had been the fact that she got to sleep so close to the one she loved so much without any problems. Adrien, on the other hand, believed it to be the surprising mystery that beds in hotels were somehow incredibly better than a bed anywhere else, a belief that earned a laugh from the bluenette.

They forced themselves out of bed so Marinette could have enough time to freshen up. Adrien, on the other hand, didn't get nearly as far. He dressed but collapsed back onto the bed, arms spread so he covered the majority of the top of the mattress.

"You can't tell me that you're still sleepy," Marinette said, holding the towel wrapped around her hair. She finished drying her hair before hanging the towel up and walking over to him.

"I can be sleepy," he groaned. "I'm really good at it."

"Well, I don't need a demonstration," she giggled, picking her bag up and slinging it over her head. "I should get going, you know? I don't wanna be late for everything like I was in high school."

"I can't help but say you did build a little reputation as being the last one through the door," he said, chuckling before getting up from the bed, moving over to kissing her. "I'll see you after school, okay? I'm gonna go and see that Alya and Nino don't sleep the rest of the day away... even though... with what they might have done last night... You know, never mind. I'll let them get up when they want."

"Good choice. Though, I'm sure they'll get up eventually. Alya texts me at five in the morning sometimes, so she's definitely not a night owl," she said before returning his kiss. "Anyways, I'll see you later, kitten."

"Yeah, I'll be seein' you, princess," he said, smiling warmly at her. His eyes traveled down slightly as he built a checklist in his head on what he needed to get done while she was away.

After another peck to his lips, she found her way to the door and began walking out. Marinette pulled out her phone to check the time. She had about thirty minutes until her first class started, which put her time limit at about twenty minutes since her first class professor wasn't the most generous of the bunch when it came to being on time.

Adrien spent his time alone gathering the last of his things before carefully sneaking into the living room to take a look around, wondering if he had left anything in here the evening before the whole sleepover.

"Mornin', Agreste," said a smirking Alya from the couch, glancing behind her shoulder at him. "I'm guessing you can't deny your sleepy times with Mari now, huh?" She had dressed herself lazily in a tee and sweatpants, leading Adrien to let his eyes wander over to Nino, who was under a blanket asleep, so it was hard to visibly see if he was bare or not, but judging by the fact that he was asleep, he probably was.

"So you know everything now," he said, bright-eyed. He wasn't going to dare show off the embarrassment now, rather, he projected it off of his features as sort of pride that he had connected with Marinette in such a way. "Yep, I've been caught red-handed, but it's hardly a bad thing in my opinion. I bet the two of you had one helluva night yourselves, too." His grin transformed into a smirk.

"Oh, wow. Dammit, Adrien, how am I supposed to tease you now when you're so chill about having sex with Mari?" she groaned.

Nino's eyes opened a bit. "What's going on? Am I dead?" he yawned, sleepiness covering his eyelids.

Alya looked up at the boy and snorted. "Yes, you're dead. I'm an angel and this is God. Guessing Missus Goddess went off to school. Or possibly, I'm a demon, he's the devil, and Missus devil is off at college."

Adrien took a breath, keeping his smile strong. "Tease all you want, Alya. Mari and I, we talked about it and we're good, you know? We know what we both feel and we're not afraid of it," he said before looking at his friend, going over to him and kneeling. "I was afraid of what happened to you in here, Nino. You look like you got up in the middle of the night and ran a mile."

Alya chuckled. "I made him run that mile," she stated proudly as she leaned back against the couch.

"Make that two miles," Nino muttered under his breath. "How did things go with Mari, bro? We could hear a few sounds coming from the room, so I'm guessing it was a good time. But, just a weird question. Do you and Mari have some cat kink that we don't know about?"

Adrien's coolness held up just until Nino's final question, where the sly aloofness was replaced with careful consideration. "It was a grand time. I won't go into detail," he said, averting his eyes. "Even if you might want to know the specifics, Nino," he murmured. "What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom, that sort of thing... yeah..."

"Don't worry," he told him, leaning a bit closer before whispering. "Alya once made me pretend to be Akumatized while we were-" he tried before getting cut off.

The girl nearly leapt over the couch, landing between the two boys. "Nope! That didn't happen! Do things happen at all? Psh, totally not."

Adrien went white as the sheet Nino covered up with. "Right... uh..." he even shuddered, swallowing. "Well... glad that you two have your... ahem... sex life all figured out."

"You were the one who told me to do it, Alya. No getting out of this," he told her, crossing his arms.

"Whatever," she mumbled before speaking more clearly. "Well, now that Mari's gone. What are we supposed to do? She's like our tiny, little leader!"

"She was voted unanimously as the student body president, wasn't she?" Adrien laughed, "What do you guys usually do when you're not working and not with us? Cuddle?"

The two looked at each other for a second then shrugged. "Basically," Alya chimed in simply. "Sometimes I rant about Ladybug to Nino while he plays with my hair. Nino can actually pull off a pretty decent fishtail if you give 'em the time."

Nino's face went red. "Hey! That's supposed to be our secret!"

Alya just laughed, "And that thing you blurted out a minute ago wasn't?"

"Boy, and here thought it was just the quirk of Mari and me to be all luvvy-dubby," he giggled at the two of them before he raised both his eyebrows. "Still. Nino? Akumatized? I really hope I don't have to live through that again," he sighed. The words rolled right off his tongue so easily he didn't catch what that would have implied until it was too late. His paleness worsened.

"Good. 'Cause you won't," Nino said firmly, glaring down Alya.

"He said it, not me," she protested, raising her hands in defense. "Anyway, how about we go out and do some shit. Being lazy bores me. Thank God I'm back in Paris, so I'll be running around more frequently in search of the superhero gang."

"Oh, goodness," Adrien rolled his eyes. He tried to groan but there was a slight touch of blushing on his cheeks. "It's like you've built your life around those two. You guys could help me move if you want. I still have a few things I need to lug over to the dorm room from the mansion."

"Sure thing! I've been looking for an opportunity to show off these puppies," he smirked, raising his arms to flex them a bit.

"They're definitely puppies. They may bark, but others around it find it more adorable than intimidating," she winked, standing up. "I'm going to grab me a muffin. Do you two want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good for now. We can always eat when we're over at my father's mansion. There's always tons of food there," he said, smiling.

"Suit yourself. I'm getting my muffin," she winked as she disappeared from the room. After a matter of a few seconds, a hushed voice came from the kitchen. "Damn, that girl and her chocolate chip muffins."

Adrien couldn't contain his laughter, letting constrained giggles escape free before dissolving into a full-blown chuckle at her reaction to it.

Nino stared blankly at Adrien for a moment, then spoke. "Okay, dude, what did you do this time?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

"Alya thinks immediately to blame Marinette for the lost muffins but I'm a saint from heaven so she'd never expected me to have taken one as well."

"I have to admit, you pass in the book of innocence to me, bro," he chuckled. "Mari must really like sweets, huh? Damn, how do you not have diabetes just by standing a few feet away from the girl?"

"She ate chocolate cake right in front of me once when we were having lunch at the university café. I swear, I've never had my self-restraint tested like that before. And then she told me how she didn't mind if I ate sweets more often around her. I felt the foundations of my world come crashing down around me. I'm not supposed to be allowed to have cake, let alone anything else sweet."

"Good luck with that. Mari is basically a sugar cube in the purest of forms. Except, sometimes she there is a hint of sass in her tone. The girl could rip you apart if you let her, probably."

"I've got my work cut out for me, then," Adrien laughed softly. "I don't doubt that either. I don't think I have anything to worry about though. Even though she might tease about throwing me off the edge of the Eiffel Tower, I'm pretty sure she doesn't have anything harmful planned for me," he chuckled.

"No kidding. You're the last person Mari would want to harm. I mean, I'm sure she's done a number to your heart, but in a physical way. For people like Chloé and Lila... Well, that might be another story. Alya told me that when Lila first came to school, Mari became so paranoid that you would run off with Lila on a pony while singing to her, that she stalked you guys the whole day."

"Ouch. I didn't think she was so... invested... but she was right to be. I never had a clue that Lila would've gone to such lengths to deceive me. I should've trusted Mari from the beginning."

"Yep, that's Mari for you. She's always been so worried that you would go off when someone and leave her behind, yet she never had the guts to talk to you like everyone else could."

"I guess that just puts into perspective just how happy she is to know we're together now. I was so blind for so many years until we ran into each other and... here we are." Adrien smiled warmly. "Y'know, it's kinda funny. I was often worried myself that she didn't like me because she couldn't talk to me. I was afraid there was something wrong with me."

"Nah, Mari was just awkward. Anyway, since we're on this topic, how exactly did you guys get together? Alya keeps trying to convince me that you both were at a bar and got drunk, then you took Mari home, but I don't buy that."

"Oh, yeah, that's the story in its purest form. Didn't you guys know I've always been a raging alcoholic?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. "Anyhow, no... the story..." he rubbed his other arm, looking off. "She was sitting on her balcony one evening... and I found her. We got to talking but we didn't recognize each other for a while into the conversation until... yeah. After we figured it out, we kind of went from there."

"Ah, I see. You and Mari seem to get along well. Especially you for some reason. How come you never had any interest in any of the girls around you until now? It's sort of an odd time to start dating out of the blue. I mean, if this is your first time dating. Is Mari the only girlfriend you've ever had?" he asked.

He folded his arms. "I guess it had a lot to do with the fact that I really didn't care. I mean, after receiving letters from an unspeakable number of girls and getting run over by crowds of them the very next day, I guess I really didn't feel like it was worth my time. All of them wanted me because I was Adrien Agreste, not because I was Adrien. Marinette... she saw me for who I was. Sure, she fell into the same obsession over a model but... more and more she proved that the reason she liked me was more than just because of my face," he said before looking over at Nino. "It happened when it happened, dude. I mean... look at you two. You guys got together during a visit to the zoo! Pretty interesting timing, huh?"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "I can't believe it's been almost four years since I've been with Al. Damn, it seems like just yesterday we were all fourteen."

"You're right. It went by in the blink of an eye. I kind of miss it, you know? Our jolly class. It was never a dull day in there," he chuckled thoughtfully.

"Especially since Mari was staring at the back of your head the whole time," Alya said as she reentered the room.

"Show the poor girl some mercy," Nino protested, crossing his arms.

"I may tease her, but I love her to death," she stated simply, taking a seat on the couch.

Instinctively, Adrien reached his hand around to the back of his head and touched it. "I don't think I'll really ever understand just how in love with me she really was," he murmured. "Alya, you're a reporter. I hope you don't let good intentions cloud good intentions if you catch my drift," he said. "Regardless, no-one does hard-hitting journalism like you do. Especially when there are all those villains around."

"The trick is to take what you have and run with it in the most graceful way," she winked. "The moment I hear about an attack, I run for it. If I'm the first one there, then I'm most likely going to get more attention."

"Yeah, but... is it really worth putting yourself in so much danger? Chat Noir and Ladybug are often under a lot of pressure in those kinds of situations."

"Really? I think they're fearless! Besides, I'm not scared at all. I've done all sorts of reports in various things like murder scenes, robberies, car crashes, and a lot of dangerous things," she shrugged.

"I try, bro, she will never listen when I tell her to stay away from danger," Nino explained, rolling his eyes.

"Sheesh, I bet you have the track record that's bigger than all the action movies ever put together, Alya," Adrien conceded, his eyes lowering to the ground.

"Well," Alya started, standing up. "We better get going if we wanna get Adrien's stuff to his new girlfriend's dorm."

Adrien deadpanned. "You're still gonna find ways to tease me with it," he sighed.

"Yep! And it won't stop!" she cheered. After Alya teased the blond a bit more, she eventually got him out of the room for Nino to change. The three of them headed towards the Agreste household in the almost-bright sky. Alya, of course, brought up a few of the recent attacks that she had captured through her new, high-quality camera that Nino had gotten her for her eighteenth birthday. It warmed the DJ's heart to hear her talk about how happy she was that the pictures looked better than any of her other devices made them look. After a while it became silent, so Nino decided to bring up Alya's favorite topic. "So, Al, do you think superheroes walk places just like humans do? Or do you suppose they would fly home on longer trips?"

Adrien blinked a few times, before looking over at Alya. "Whoever said Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't just normal people, too?"

"No, no! I mean, like if they wanted to go somewhere and didn't want to walk. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to save time and fly off to where they may need to be?" Nino questioned, tilting his head a bit.

"Hm," Alya mused. "I think you've got a point, but I think they would only use their powers while traveling if they really needed to or if they were in a big hurry."

"Or if it's a really, really beautiful, cool evening, too," Adrien added. "I enjoy those kinds of evenings."

"Well then why don't you transform and fly off into the night, Miss Ladybug?" she chuckled, Nino rolling his eyes beside her.

"You know, that sounds like a great idea," he teased. "I'll see you guys later," he chuckled, not missing a beat in walking with them.

"If you leave we won't have anyone strong enough to carry your things," Alya laughed.

"Wait for a second! I'm strong!" Nino yelled, embarrassed at the fact that Adrien did have more muscle. Alya's eyebrows raised for a moment. "Babe, I love you, I really do, but you just haven't gone through puberty yet," she cooed, patting him on the shoulder.

Adrien raised his eyebrows at the two of them. "Oh, goodness, you too. No worries, I'm not going anywhere," he chuckled. The mansion is just up the hill."

"Good," Nino huffed as the blogger laughed once more.

"I wonder if my father is gonna be around to greet us," he mused. "The mansion has basically been left to gather dust ever since Gorilla and Nathalie went to Germany," he sighed. "Maybe they'll be back for the holidays."

"Gorilla always seemed pretty chill, yet he barely said a word when I was around him. I remember that time in high school when I was on that show and he was there. I think that was the first time you met Ladybug, wasn't it? You looked pretty amazed to see her," Nino said coolly as they walked up to the entrance.

"Oh, I think it might've been," he murmured. "But yeah, like, Ladybug is awesome, though. Who wouldn't be amazed?"

"Yeah, Nino," Alya agreed, crossing her arms.

Nino's eyes widened a bit. "Hey, hey! I have nothing against the bug, but I could name a few girls that my eyes have been on more. Perhaps you, Al?" he smirked.

"I should be the only girl your eyes focus on," she smirked in return.

Adrien gently nudged his friend's shoulder with his elbow. "Careful, buddy, Marinette might be one thing with her taunts and teases but Alya is an entirely different alley," he chuckled.

"Thanks for the advice. I'll use it to my advantage," Nino replied, wrapping an arm around Alya's waist.

Alya groaned, her expression leaning in between a facepalm and an eye roll. "Why am I dating a flirt?"

Chat Noir is a flirt, but Ladybug probably has a thing for him," Nino grinned.

"Touché..." Alya added after him.

Adrien tried to hide the fact that his face was taken by a spot of blush before it flushed completely. "Hey, I'll show you guys in. I've never shown you around the whole place before, have I? Nino might remember a lot."

"I've seen nothing. Well, except that one time when I was snooping around with Marinette so she could si- see your windows! Yeah... she really likes windows..."

Alya laughed a bit forcefully. If Adrien ever found out about the scarf, Mari would end her in a heartbeat.

Adrien raised an eyebrow in wonder before blinking a few times. "Well, you don't have to worry, just... don't trail away from the tour guide and you won't get hopelessly abandoned in the dark and cold labyrinth corridors, 'kay?"

"Whenever you say, model boy," she smiled, relieved that she had accomplished the task of saving the secret. The girl walked inside and almost fell over from the largeness of the room, causing Nino to steady her from behind, making sure she didn't fall. "I'm as clumsy as Marinette sometimes," she scoffed, placing one of her hands to her hip.

"I often find her clumsiness incredibly adorable," Adrien said. "But, I don't blame you, at first glance, it looks magnificent, but when you've spent your entire life here, it just makes you feel small and... yeah, I'll try not to get the depression of the setting get to me."

"Good thing you have that sugar cube of yours to brighten your day a bit, dude," Nino replied, gently rubbing Alya's right arm. "This place always seemed quite the downer to me. It gives me the creeps, honestly."

"Yeah, I can barely survive five minutes in this place by myself anymore..." Adrien said. "There's... there's no life or warmth anymore. Just cold regret..." he murmured before letting his eyes jump around. "Crap, I'm doing it again. Well, here, my room is this way."

Nino's eyes narrowed a bit. It saddened him to see his friend so alone in his own house. He owed Marinette his life for keeping him happy. It was almost certain to him that if Mari never came into his life, he might've become isolated to everything and everyone around him. He was struck from the thought, though, when Alya clutched onto his hand and led him as she followed Adrien to the room.

At least Adrien's room proved to be a considerable safe haven away from the darkened, lonely hallways that led to it. His room was indeed huge by any standard. Even with loads of furniture and other accessories that Adrien had spread around the space, he couldn't seem to shake the overwhelming nature of the room, something he wasn't too keen on projecting. He wanted a homely feeling, not a jaw-dropping one. Adrien's eyes traveled up to the lamp fixture hanging from the roof. At least the light in here works.

"Wow, you're loaded," Alya mused as she looked up to see his climbing wall. "I'm guessing you were a pretty active kid, considering all of the gear that requires moving around."

While Alya was admiring the view, Nino stood close to her in hopes that she wouldn't fall.

"Yeah, I had a stricter exercising routine than the PE teacher back in high school," Adrien said, crossing his arms. "I suppose it wasn't all that bad, though. I enjoyed the climbing wall especially because I could always vault off the top and feel like I was flying."

"I can imagine your medical bills after that," Nino teased, taking a seat on Adrien's bed. "So, what exactly do we need to move and where she we start?" he asked.

"I need a few more of my sets of clothing moved," Adrien said, pointing over to the piles of clothes stacked neatly in three piles in the closet. They were rather tall piles. "I should probably take my game console over to the dorm room so Marinette can beat me over and over at Ultimate Mecha Strike III." He smiled. "She'd love that."

"I'm sure Mari loves kicking your ass," Alya smirked before her attention drifted to the clothes. Her eyes circled around the room. There was no way they could carry all of that in one trip. They would need some boxes or maybe a suitcase.

"Yeah, that and denying me croissants when I'm losing." Adrien rolled his eyes, remembering how she told her parents off when they tried to offer him snacks. "They looked so good..." he moaned before looking over. "Oh, oh, don't worry, I'm not going to take all three stacks! I'm not Chloé," he said. "I just need help selecting what kind of clothes I should take with me. Seeing how my fashion designer on-demand is currently away at the university, I need a little bit of help."

"Bro, I think you've got the wrong bunch. Did you forget about your girlfriend, who just happens to love fashion?" Nino laughed, rolling his eyes. "But anyway," he chuckled before standing up to gaze upon the stacks of clothing. "How many pairs are you thinkin'?"

"No, I didn't. Fashion designer on-demand, remember?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "No, but I have the utmost faith in you two! I think... about seven? One for every day?"

"Hmm," Alya shrugged. "Sounds good to me," she said, dragging Nino over to where the clothes were laid out. They sorted through the clothes, picking out different pieces of clothing that they liked and placed it on the bed. Then, the two went back and forth, debating on what would look good with what. Alya leaned closer towards the bright-colored clothes, while Nino was more fond of casual wear. Eventually, the two of them finished their little task with a flop on the bed by Alya.

Adrien smiled warmly. "Thanks, you guys, I owe you one!" he cheered softly, gathering up the selected articles and going to pack up his game console. "I don't think I have anything else I need to lug over to the dorm so we can leave whenever. Got any rooms you wanna see? The ballroom? The pool? The library?"

"The ballroom?" she looked with a little laugh. "Don't tell me you fell in love with Mari at midnight, Prince Charming."

For some reason, Nino could only imagine the opposite of Alya's thoughts. Adrien in a dress and Mari in a nice suit of some sort, which made him laugh a tad more than he wanted to.

Adrien chuckled. "Oh, boy, I should keep that in mind," he said. "That's a really grand idea, but no... I've already told you how it went, Alya. It's a pity to see the ballroom gather dust like it has though. Nobody has set foot in it since..." his eyes dropped. "A very long time."

"Well, then, why don't you plan a party? I'm sure Mari would love to make herself a new dress. Even if she already has plenty, she always created a brand new one with each opportunity she gets."

"An even grander idea! Yet, there's just the tiny problem of whether or not my father would allow it... It's something I'm willing to approach him about," he said, his eyes went up to Alya. "Mari has already brought up the topic of parties once before."

"I think I remember Alya telling me about a party that Mari attended. If I'm right, there was a fashion show that she went to and there was a party after it?" Nino finished in a questionable tone, looking to Alya for an answer. She just nodded to confirm he was correct.

"And, pray tell, how many parties have the two of you been to?" he asked. "I certainly haven't been to any parties before so I really don't know what to expect from them."

"I know the basics, fancy people, dancing, music, formal dresses, and suits, etc. A party shouldn't be too complicated. At least, I think so... I mean, you could always ask your dad to promote his business with the dance. I'm sure he'd jump right on that," she shrugged, rolling over on her stomach.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Adrien said. "You're not taking a liking to my bed there are you, Alya?" He tilted his head to glance at the clock. "Gosh, I wish time would move faster so Mari would be done with school," he sighed. "There's so much the two of us need to get done."

"After last night, any bed seems equivalent to a cloud to me," she mumbled. "Well, if we start taking your clothes up to the dorm, I'm sure Mari's classes will be over soon after."

Adrien playfully crossed his arms, shifting his weight to one leg. "I guess Nino wasn't the only one to run a mile last night, huh?" He couldn't help but chuckle. "But, one thing, either you two are incredibly quiet or I was too focused on Mari to care," he said in hindsight, smirking all the while. "Sounds like a plan though."

"I dunno, dude, I think you must've been pretty distracted not to hear anything," Nino cooed, earning a punch to the arm from Alya. Nino just laughed it off, gathering up some of the model's clothes in his arms while Alya took the rest.

He blushed, and realizing it, tried to cover it with a deep smirk at the thoughts of last night. God, he was hooked. "I mean, yeah," he laughed embarrassed. "I guess I was." Adrien gathered up the game console. "Alright, I think we're ready to go."

"Perfect," Nino chuckled, granting his friend with a slight pat on the shoulder. "Lead the way, buddy!"

He smiled as they traversed the various hallways of the mansion. Adrien would occasionally glance around the different corners until they reached the main staircase. He stopped, taking in the cold air as he glanced at the door of his father's office. He frowned slightly before beginning to descend the staircase.

There, his father stood at the base of the stairs, with no doubt that he had been waiting there. "Oh, Adrien, what a surprise; back again, and with friends."

Adrien blinked a few times. "Hey, Father. We just came by to pick up a few things around here to take back to the dorm."

"Are you sure you're going to be ready for the upcoming week?"

Adrien nodded. "Yep, I should be. I do need to know all the classes I'm going to be attending."

Gabriel's face brightened with remembrance. "Yes, of course," he said, pulling out his wallet and revealing a folded piece of paper. "This should serve you."

Adrien actually smiled. "Thank you, Father."

Alya glanced over at Nino who was already giving her the same look of worry. The two could both sense the tension between them. Alya relaxed a bit though when Adrien smiled. But, overall, the two pitied that fact that Adrien was stuck in an unfair life.

"I'll be paying close attention to your first week, Adrien," Gabriel mused. "I hope, for your sake, that everything will go well."

Adrien nervously pressed his lips together. "Yes, Father. I won't let you down," he said. He let out a soft breath at the thought that crossed his mind.

"Alright," Gabriel said, slipping his wallet back into his jacket pocket. "Carry on."

Nino stepped over to the blond and lightly tapped him on the shoulder, signaling that they should get moving. Alya stood beside the two and walked out as Nino found his way to the door.

He started moving almost instantly with his touch, heading directly for the door and not looking back. He almost got to the point where he was jogging away from the mansion but when he came to the gate, he stopped short and sighed, bracing his hand against the brick column that served as a support for the gate, "He doesn't trust me," he said.

"Hey," Nino started softly. "He's just... overprotective. Yeah, overprotective. He doesn't show it in the best way... but I'm sure he just hopes for the best for you."

"Every time he shows it, it destroys me," Adrien murmured. "God, why can't he ever smile at the choices I make? He's always so... so... so cynical! Parents are supposed to be supporting and encouraging, not analytical and degrading! I'm never going to reach his standard of perfect, which is kind of ironic seeing how Paris sees me as the perfect model."

Alya and Nino exchanged glances, both biting down on their lip. "Adrien, I don't know your father too well but I know enough to know that his actions are wrong," Alya said, tilting her head a bit to try to read his expression more.

"It's fine because it doesn't matter. Why would he suddenly change after all these years? He's been like this since... since..." he sighed. "Listen, let's just get back to the dorm, Okay?" he said before he started to walk again down the road.


	19. Too Many Discussions

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 19**

Nino took Alya's hand in his and gave it a small squeeze as they followed Adrien down the street.

Adrien made it a point to stay ahead of his two friends. He wrapped his arms around himself, coming up to the dorm building. He blinked a few times, looking up at their room door. A certain red-head was there by the door, knocking on it. He had a few sketchbooks in his arms.

The two stopped close behind him, Alya's eyes widening a bit. "Oh, boy," she murmured.

The tomato-haired boy persisted in his knocking before he glanced around and saw Adrien and the others. He retreated within himself but waved down at them regardless. "Hey, you guys. How are you doing?" he called down at them, descending the stairs to meet them.

"Pretty good actually," Nino chimed in coolly, before looking over to Alya who nodded in approval. "It's good to be back in Paris again."

"Yeah. Long time, no see," the red-head said. "You're... you're looking well, Adrien."

Adrien averted his eyes slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You guys know if... if Marinette is done with school? I don't know her schedule very well and I need her help on a project I'm working on."

"Uh..." Alya began, pulling out her phone to check on the time. "She should be out in about an hour from now. But, if you need help right now, I can try to call someone or maybe we could help?" she suggested.

"Eh, well, unless you're pretty good at designing superhero comics, I don't know what you can do. I have the basic characters but... I need help designing the costumes for each. And... and Marinette has done a lot of sketches of superheroes that I thought it would right up her alley."

"Well, Alya's no art expert, but I'm sure she could describe some neat costumes for you," Nino told him, wrapping his arm around the girl.

"Basically, I'd be able to help out with choosing the best costumes and armor that would protect the heroes. You should probably add some flaws into the outfits and powers, too, just so the heroes are extremely overpowered," she shrugged.

"I had a little bit of that... that planned, but thanks guys..." Nathaniel replied. "I wanted to get Marinette's input... though, at the very least..." He rubbed the back of his head.

"You should come back later," Adrien said sharply, but the restraint in his voice was obvious. "Marinette isn't here and it isn't the best idea to stand around and wait for her."

Nathaniel's eyes widened, before blinking at the rate of a machine gun. "Sorry, Adrien! I didn't mean to... I mean..."

Adrien sighed, pressing a hand to face, an almost defeated sound coming from his voice. "It's fine, Nathaniel, just... now's not the best time for that. Please."

Nathaniel nodded, before waving sheepishly at Alya and Nino. "Yeah, I'll see you guys later."

Once the red-head left from sight, Nino stepped over to Adrien. "Dude, you should really treat yourself a bit. You seem pretty stressed out from what I've seen. I don't want to witness my best friend getting Akumatized."

Adrien frowned. "I'm fine, I just... I need a few moments to cool off, maybe," he said softly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Mind taking the stuff up to the dorm for me? I... I think I might need a walk by myself, you know, to just brood and clear my head. I think that'll help."

"Sure thing, man. Alya and I have got you covered," he said, sending him a thumb up before he grasped Alya's hand and led her down the hall towards their favorite designer's room. "Let's catch up later though, okay?"

"Of course, See ya later," he said. The model stood there for several moments, his eyes closed as he listened to the silence. A moment later, his eyes snapped open, his eyes traveling to the pocket inside his jacket. "Plagg," he asked.

The little cat-kwami flew to the forefront. "What's up, kid, having a rough time?"

Adrien rolled his head. "Yeah, sure, something like that. There's somewhere I want to go," he said, taking out his phone before sending a quick text to Marinette.

 _Hey, I'm gonna head over to the Luxembourg Gardens for a while; Nino and Alya are at the dorm. I love you._

Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he looked at his kwami. "Plagg, Claws out!"

For Marinette, the day had gone by pretty smoothly, no big assignments or huge tests she had to worry about. In her last class, sketching and design, the class had been told to work on their hundred-sketches project, which Marinette had finished days earlier, so she pulled her phone out to pass the time. She saw the text and quickly sent one back.

 _Okay, Kitten. I'll meet you over there when I'm available. I love you, too._

She sighed, placing her elbow on the desk and resting her chin in her palm. After she was dismissed, Marinette found it appropriate to follow her promise that she had made that morning and transform into Ladybug. She met up with her reporter friend as she and Nino were walking back to their hotel room. The interview wasn't too long. Alya seemed pretty invested in the questions, asking deeper things that Marinette was used to being asked in high school, but it wasn't much of a problem. Once the job was done, Ladybug set off to find her cat, zipping over the rooftops of Paris until she reached her destination.

Ladybug would find her kitten sitting on the edge of one of the flower beds there, tilted so his body was facing away from her as his hand ran around through the small pocket-like fields of flowers. He seemed still for the moment, his body betraying a sort of exhaustion just in the way it was slouched over. It wasn't a casual slouch, but one of a burdened form. At least here, however, Chat could hear his own thoughts and breath the relaxing perfume that the flowers so generously offered to the feline hero. His baton, extended and planted in the ground, allowed for Chat to brace his hand against it and not topple over.

Ladybug approached him with slow steps. "Hey, Chat. Are you okay?" she whispered, leaning closer with her head tilted in hopes to see his face. "From the looks of it, you seem tense."

"Eh, rough day," he sighed softly, letting his hand drop against the tops of a few flowers, bending them slightly. He noticed and quickly removed his hand, planting roughly against his chest. His entire form shuddered with the next sigh. "Yeah, I'm not doing so good..."

She reached over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a little hug. "Tell me what happened. I'm here to listen," she murmured as her forehead rested up against his shoulder.

"We went over to the mansion today. Nino and Alya helped me move a few more things to the dorm but I ran into my father. That didn't go well. Then, when we got back to the dorm, we found Nathaniel. That didn't go well, either."

"Ah, I see. Your father does have the reputation of ruining the mood," she sighed. "Did Nathaniel want something? He usually tries to discover new reasons to get near me for some reason."

"Yeah, but usually I can suck it up pretty well when my father is involved but... I don't know. It's like he doesn't believe I can make this all work," Chat said, looking away, scratching his head. "I wish, for once, he'd give me some direction instead of silently degrading me in his presence." He looked at her and then down at his hands. "Nathaniel wanted... ah... something to do with a project he's working on. A superhero comic of some sort. I found him knocking on the dorm door wondering where you were. I just... wasn't in the mood to deal with him."

"Nathaniel has an interest in superheroes. That's sorta my fault. I hung out with him a lot when I first came here and I would mention superheroes every now and then. He soon developed a love for Ladybug and Chat Noir, even though we hadn't been around in quite the while. He began to paint us, too, with references from the Ladyblog. One of them got a small spot in the Louvre, actually."

"He was looking for costume help, I think... I told him to go back to the dorms later," he said, turning so he was facing her. "Hopefully, you've had a better day than I have? Everything about today is still heavy on my mind and I can't seem to shake it. I'm really terrified of it getting worse."

"It," she started, sucking in a breath. "It won't get worse. All we have to do is relax a little more, okay? You're not alone on this. I'll be by your side through every step of the way. We will figure this out together," she breathed, gazing up at him slowly.

Marinette had been expecting a response from Chat Noir, and the feline hero had even opened his mouth to speak it, but the color in his face drained when the voice he heard wasn't his owns, but the robust sound of a certain villain they both recognized instantly.

"Yes, together. Ladybug and Chat Noir, ever the dynamic duo. Willing to go to the greatest of risks to keep the city safe and yet struggle with the simple problems of a young adult's life. I sometimes wonder how Paris managed to put its faith in such an interesting pair. Poor Chat Noir. Family problems and the challenge of dealing with those out to secure the same goal as your own. I must admit to the two of you that watching you makes for a very fulfilling pastime," Hawkmoth's demanding voice came from behind, a playful sarcasm rolling off the base of every word, twirling his own staff in the air. He stood in the open space at the gate of the Gardens.

Chat felt himself slowly grow overwhelmed by a mixture of sadness, desperation and even more frustration and anger. Chat didn't even turn towards the masked figure addressing him. "Ladybug... it just got worse."

Marinette didn't want to move, but she did. Her hand trailed down, finding her yo-yo and pulling it out to swing in the air. "What do you want? Every day there's some new trick you play on us. No more games, Hawkmoth. I'm done trying to figure you out," she spat, her fist tightening on the yo-yo's wire.

"Why, Ladybug, I'm appalled," Hawkmoth said, taking a few times with a shake of his head. "I never was aware we were playing a game of mysteries. That's quite a surprise to me. And games are meant to relieve some of the stress. Have they not been working? A pity. Chat Noir looks worse for wear, all dried up with anguish and that buried hatred. All his problems would be much easier to solve if he let himself feel something for once."

Chat's eyes bolted upwards toward Hawkmoth, showing his teeth. "How dare you!"

Marinette's eyes darted to Chat. "What pleasure could you possibly get from all of this?" she called in a hushed tone, glaring back to Hawkmoth. "What do you so cravingly desire to make you want to disrupt the innocent?"

"Ladybug, please, do not hold me responsible for your narrow-mindedness in the matter of everything thus far," he announced with a twirl of his staff. "I've dropped more than enough hints as to what my goal has been all along. I've even been as courteous enough to tell you at one point prior."

Chat gripped his hand around his baton. "That doesn't matter. You have a lot to answer for, Hawkmoth."

Hawkmoth laughed. "Oh, yes, the late and sudden arrival of your father. You should be grateful that he's returned to you unharmed and not tampered with by any means," he said.

She readied her yo-yo as if she was about to throw it but pressed the button instead to reveal her disk. "Why be grateful when your promise was all wrong. I'll be grateful once I get a reasonable explanation to all of this."

Hawkmoth raised an eyebrow. "So the little bug has gotten an upgrade to her weapon," he said before shaking his head. "Well, regardless, you two are not the only ones who have things to deal with constantly. I'll even be so kind as to allow you to ask questions."

Her face softened a bit.

He couldn't be serious, could he?

"What's the catch?" she mumbled, glancing at Chat for a moment then back to Hawkmoth.

The villain thought for a moment. "Catch? Hmm, well, since we're in the business of doing business, I would like it if you were to do me one favor after our little discussion when we depart."

She glared, her grip tightening on the disk. "I'm not doing your dirty work, Hawkmoth. We've made it perfectly clear what side we're fighting for."

"Oh, no," Hawkmoth laughed. "I can guess your limits. No, I just want one thing, and believe me, it is well within the bounds of your morals, that's for sure, Ladybug. You must have forgotten; you two are the least of my worries where the opposition is concerned."

"Then..." she whispered, before sharpening her features, speaking with defiance. "Then what is it? If this is another one of your famous tricks..."

"I want you to pay attention," he said simply, leaning on his staff. "It's that simple," he said before tilting his head at them.

"We've been paying attention for weeks. Can you just give us some type of clue onto what you plan to accomplish throughout this mess?"

"I plan only to prevent something that will undoubtedly prove detrimental to the both of us."

"There's no way we should believe anything you say!" Chat lashed out, the frustration evident in his tone. "You were given your chance and you blew it off like a play date!"

Hawkmoth closed his eyes and shook his head. "If only I could tell you everything. I don't think it's time for me to do that quite yet. Oh, and Ladybug, you are correct. I have a plan, yes, and the various acts that have transpired are part of a larger purpose; well, everything but the house fire. What a loss of precious art. It will be missed."

"What were you looking for in there? Why did you set it on fire?" she choked out, disbelief tugging at her voice. She wanted to cry but didn't. There was no point in it. If she cried, then there would be fear. She, nor the entire city of Paris, wanted to be afraid. She wasn't afraid. Just confused, curious, inpatient... desperate. Her stern look remained on her face, barely moving or blinking. Fear just wasn't an option right now.

"As it would be, That tragedy was not done by my hand. It was definitely something I would have liked to avoid that but it fell out of my hands," Hawkmoth said, leaning his weight to one leg and pursing his lips in consideration. "Undoubtedly, you know the location of the other Miraculouses, and on any other given day, I would most likely work to get that information, but this is different. Keep those secrets safe and choose your friends carefully, Ladybug and Chat Noir. There are those who wish to deceive you."

Ladybug's eyes narrowed. "Do you know who we are as civilians? Have you been spying on us?"

"Chat Noir absent-mindedly proved my theory. When I had announced before-hand that I knew who Chat Noir was, it was a very heavy roll of the dice and I risked a great deal of pride in acting on such a theory if I had been wrong. I don't have a reason to doubt now who Chat Noir is and I suppose, if I wanted to, I could put the effort in to discover your identity, Ladybug. Unless Chat Noir has the audacity to tell me now that the man I had indeed taken away for the period I did was not his father."

"Our identities are none of your business. If you do know who Chat is, then it wouldn't be too hard to figure out who I am but there is no point to it. I will protect my family and friends and everyone I love, so there's no threat you could possibly use on me," she told him. "Listen, Hawkmoth, I don't know why, but a piece of me wants to understand you. I've grown up in a, well, lucky environment my whole life and when horrible things like this happen, it seems like such an impossible action that it drives me crazy trying to pick out the pieces. All I ask of you is to refrain from harming the innocent."

"Ladybug, I think its safe to say that we've all changed a great deal over the years. My motivations have shifted away from targeting you two. Honestly, though, I don't want to hurt either of you if it can be helped because there might come a time when things might beyond even my control. Please forgive me for being vague as I'm not entirely positive of the position of everything. Also, if it's any consolation, I am closer than you might gather," he laughed.

"Does that mean... Chat knows you as a civilian?" she said softly. Ladybug wasn't quite aware of how desperate for answers she really was. At this point, she wanted to believe Hawkmoth so badly. She wanted to believe there was a simple logic to everything that was surrounding them and that it would vanish in the blink of an eye when the last piece of the puzzle was put in. The spotted figure wanted nothing more than for Hawkmoth to surrender his Miraculous and give them more information as to what was occurring, but, sadly, that was not close to the truth of how events play out.

"Oh, please, I'm not going to take all the fun out of the investigation," the taller figure said, waving a playful hand.

Chat blinked a few times. "You certainly don't mirror anyone that I know."

Hawkmoth smiled. "Glad to know I'm doing a very good job."

"Well," Ladybug began, giving the button on her disk another press before it returned to its original yo-yo format. "Is there anything else you'd like to inform us on before we part ways? Or was there something you were planning to do with your little visit?"

"No, I just felt it necessary to pay the heroes of Paris a brief visit. I originally found Chat Noir here and was rather baffled to see him without Ladybug by his side. Perhaps that's why he seemed so down."

Chat snickered. "Sure, call it that..."

Ladybug glared. "His feelings are none of your business. Anyway, and I hate to say it, but thanks. I think we have a slightly better understanding or at least a few clues now. But if there's nothing else you would like to add, I would like to be alone to talk with Chat."

Hawkmoth gave his staff a twirl before clapping it onto the ground. "Likewise, Ladybug, but this isn't the last you'll see of me." He smirked before raising his hand and snapping. A small, bright flash and he was gone.

Chat sat bewildered, staring and blinking. "Did we... just have a civil conversation with Hawkmoth?"

"I..." she paused for a moment to process the question. "I think so... He must be serious about whatever this is. We could be one-third of a huge war that might happen here in the future."

Chat sighed. "And we don't even know who our opponents are anymore. God, things couldn't be messier. And, dammit, he knows who I am! Ladybug, God, I-I... messed up!"

"Hey, hey," she murmured cautiously. "You didn't mess up. This was out of your control. Besides, if he really wanted to hurt us, he would've done it by now. I think our best option is to solve this mystery first, then the answer to trusting Hawkmoth or not will be more clear."

"Yeah, but how can we do any of this? Follow Hawkmoth?" he wondered, wrapping his arms around himself. "It's bad enough we have to deal with the mystery without any clues..."

"Well, from what Hawkmoth said, I picked up a few details that could help. Firstly, he brought up the topic of friends, meaning someone you might know could be behind this. Secondly, he said that the fire wasn't his doing. This could mean that the fire was either from a new villain or just an average law-breaker. Thirdly, Hawkmoth said that things might go beyond his control, so we know there must be someone or something else involved into this."

"So, some third-party we don't know about and that Hawkmoth is completely terrified of. Case closed; we're screwed," he murmured.

"With that attitude, we really will be screwed," she rolled her eyes as her hand found her hip. "I think we can do it. We are aware of the third-party, right? Well, we weren't earlier. The more information we gain, the larger our advantage will be," she winked.

Chat Noir ran his hand through his messy hair before bracing his hand on his forehead, leaning over and sighing. "I'm pretty sure I'd be leaping for joy right now if today hadn't gone the way it did," he said, dropping his hand. "Ladybug, I'm sorry... I just..."

He wrapped his arms around himself.

What was wrong with him? Why wasn't he his optimistic self? He'd always been the headstrong and confident hero when in the face of such mystery and looming danger. Right now, he felt terrible. So terrible, even the adamant words of his partner did little to give him the boost he so desperately wanted.

"Hey," she murmured softly, reaching her hand out to place on his shoulder. "There is no need to apologize, alright? Even as an adult, we still go through hard times. You won't be stuck forever, Chat, but it might take some time. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay?"

He glanced up at her, trying to give her a smile for her efforts, placing a hand on top of hers. "Thanks, bug-a-boo," he whispered to her. "You have no idea how much worse I'd be right now if you weren't here."

She let out a gentle sigh of relief. "I'm glad. But you really should talk about this with me a bit more. Letting things out helps a lot," she suggested, placing her free hand in his.

"What do you want to hear about first? My father or Nathaniel?" he said, blowing air out of his nose. "I've pretty much said everything there is to say about either of them."

"For starters, tell me how you would want this to go. Like... if this day could've gone your way, how would it go? I know it seems sorta odd... but trust me on this." Her arms wrapped around his waist with a gentle touch as her forehead found his shoulder once again.

"Well," he said. "...I would have liked it if my father hadn't been... so cold when I was over there; I think he acts differently when you're around, or at least, more composed. When I was trying to leave with Nino and Alya, he was so blunt about his lack of trust in me..."

"Why would he act differently around me? There is no need to impress me in any way. It might possibly be about those few times I spoke up to him," she whispered.

"I don't know, that's just... I thought that because you were with me the last couple of times, that he was acting differently, as I said, for what reason, I don't know. I don't know why all of a sudden he's become so... so critical about what I'm doing right now... it's like... he's having regrets."

Ladybug didn't say anything for a while as she processed what would be the best thing to tell him. "Well, um," she started. "You will be fine in college. The first few days just might take some adjusting until you get used to it. I'll help you with everything, so don't worry about that. I'm sure that your father will be proud in some way once he sees the greatness that I see in you," she whispered, tightening her grip on him just a bit.

"I swear, I don't deserve you, Ladybug, neither as a partner nor as a friend," he breathed, leaning into her so he rested his head against her chest. "How do always know what the right things to say are?"

She chuckled a bit. "Its pretty simple, actually. I think too much about things. But really, you deserve more than you think. You're just not used to things like this yet."

"Ladybug," he whispered. "You're talking to the guy who lived his whole life getting every material object he ever wanted. All he had to do was ask. I didn't want material possessions. I just wanted someone who'd understand me and love me for who I am, not because I'm..." His grew voice very low as it trailed off. "And here you are, an angel sent to be that person and sometimes I can't believe it."

"Chat... I'm not an angel. We're all people, you know? Sure, you have a lot of nice things, but the things that mean the most to you are out of reach. I may seem like a lot, but you just haven't experienced all the great things life can bring. I wish to help you find all of those things, though. That's what I want to do."

"I know, I know, but no matter how earnestly I work towards any of those things, they always seem to move farther out of reach or something else moves in front of it and I'm left to flounder. I don't have a very good record with life. Everything I really wanted was taken away from me and I'm always left with stuff I don't want. You're saying your gonna take up the challenge of helping the literal bearer of bad luck find his way. Think about that 'cause it's not gonna be easy, I can tell you that."

"I'm willing to take that risk. I know it may seem cheesy, but nothing is impossible, Chat. I have no doubt that I will solve most of our troubles," she told him, stroking her fingers through his hair gently.


	20. You Just Asked That, Didn't You?

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 20**

Even though Chat had made the comment about going back to the dorm, it didn't happen right away. For several hours, Chat and Ladybug remained in the Luxembourg Gardens, savoring the tranquility they had after Hawkmoth's disappearance. Their time together did wonders to Chat's mood, leaving him a bit more playful and willing to tease her.

They stayed until they could see the late reaches of the sun finally beginning to sink beneath the cityscape of Paris, the wind taking on a warmth that blew softly against their faces as yellows turned to deeper, richer oranges and reds.

After several minutes of just admiring it in silence, Chat Noir looked up from his restful position beside his partner and smiled softly.

"Thank God you have the confidence on this one."

Ladybug shook her head, a brighter smile on her features as she looked down at the silly cat and ran a few loose fingers through his golden hair.

"Of course, Chat."

"If you're sure that we can make this work, I'll do everything I can to help you. I'm not much but... but I've always been ready to drop everything for you and I'm not going back on that," he continued in the same reserved and gentle tone. "I love you. I always have and you know that."

"I do. And I love you, too. That's another thing I can guarantee you. I'm glad I can see your familiar smile again, Kitty," she mumbled as she leaned closer to place a kiss on his forehead.

He couldn't help but hug himself to her. "I think... I think we should head back over to the dorm," he sighed. "I should apologize to Nino and Alya for being so coarse lately. All they've helped me so much today."

"Okay," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's a shame we probably shouldn't kiss right now. It would be highly suspicious if someone found out we were a couple as Ladybug and Chat Noir. If it gets out to the public fast enough, Alya would know in a heartbeat who we really are. And so would others that know we are a couple as civilians."

"Ouch... I hadn't really thought about it. I guess I kind of kept my distance so far out of instinct but... I just needed to be in your arms for the sake of my own sanity," he chuckled softly. "Besides, we're in the Luxembourg Gardens; not many people come by here anyway," he said before taking a moment to think. "Except those who take the time to spy," he said with a special touch of confused malice.

He blinked a couple of times. "Ladybug..." he started, almost choked at the idea he was about to bring up. He bit his tongue, almost regretting even suggesting such a thing. "Maybe... we... as civilians... should spend some time away from each other just in case. I mean... Hawkmoth knows who I am and... that terrifies me. Like you said, it'd be easy for him to pick up on who you are..."

"Well, in public situations... But I still wish to have you close to me. We live together, too. But... you don't have to worry too much about Hawkmoth figuring out my identity. I'd rather have him in my hair than yours, Chat," she breathed, loosening her grip a little.

"I don't want to have to do anything different that puts me away from you but... if it keeps you safe, I'd suffer through it," he said, sighing. "You'd put up with that danger? That chance? I don't want to put you through that, Ladybug. You're vastly more important to the safety of Paris if it came down to the bite."

"I'll be fine, Kitty. I can protect myself and the people I'm close to. I'll make sure no one gets hurt. That includes you, so please... if there is ever a time that one of our lives could be risked... don't give yourself up for me. I could never live with a memory like that," she mumbled, her hands trailing down to find his as she looked off at the flowers lightly blowing in the soft wind.

Chat sighed softly, leaning up and kissing her cheek. "My life is so dedicated entirely to yours that I'd go to any length to make sure you're safe. I didn't take so many bullets for you before lightly, Ladybug. Timebreaker? Dark Cupid? And I certainly would do it again to make sure you're safe."

She let her hands fall from him to wrap around herself. "But... What if I lose you, Chat? I don't think I could deal with that pain. We love each other so much. You're... you're just too important to me," she murmured, a single tear falling down her mask. Ladybug refused to look him in the eye.

"You... you... thought about that long before, didn't you?" he murmured. "All those times you denied me the chance to see who you really were underneath that mask? It was to prevent conversations like this from ever happening, and even then, the actual tragedy... God... Ladybug, I'm sorry... I'm so... so sorry," he sighed, pressing his head against the palms of his hands.

"It's okay. It's just..." she began, wiping the tear from her cheek. "I get so fragile when I think about losing all I've ever dreamed and hoped for. The thought of being alone? Away from you? Forever? It just stings me," she said, finally taking a minute to look up at him.

"You have every right because... because it's my fault. If I hadn't been so enamored by you when we met and I hadn't been so determined to win your heart..." he sighed.

"Chat..." she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "Listen, it's not your fault. All I'm asking is that you stay a little more cautious and worry about your health too because you matter to me and to all of your friends. Feel free to throw yourself out there but I just hope you bounce back."

He smiled softly, a sort of sadness contained within it. He wrapped his arms around her in return, holding onto her as if he'd melt if he didn't have her substance and her confidence and her compassion so close to him. "I know," he breathed. "It's just so easy to get wrapped in the fact that, most of the time, I do have to take the bulk of the damage- and I don't resent that in any way- so I don't hold myself so high in value compared to what I'm sacrificing myself for. I'm not asking to die, I'm just accepting the fact that I will take damage for you and will bounce back."

A small smile grew across Ladybug's lips as she gazed up at him. "Thank you, Chat. I really have always appreciated your dedication and bravery though. I'm meaning before I knew your civilian self. I could always count on you no matter what," she giggled a bit, her arms found his neck as she leaned up, almost needing to stand on her toes, and placed a peck to his lips.

"Hey, it takes a special kind of person for me to be so dedicated to," he laughed softly, winking. "I mean, your ingenuity and grace is something to just admire. I always wanted to just spend the entire evening just with you. Beside. you remember how we used to relax on the rooftops after patrols and talked? Those were the best times."

"I can't say I didn't enjoy them myself," she smirked, letting him go to cross her arms over her chest. "I especially loved it when you would play little games to try to get to know me better." She reached out and tapped his nose. "Twenty questions is pretty unnecessary now, huh, Kitty?" she laughed, her heart and mind at ease once again.

"Yeah, I did get pretty creative with some of them, y'know? Tag-and-Question was the best," he replied, his award-winning smile returning to his face as he matched her stance. "I'd tease you about a bunch of random stuff, trying to guess things about you while I chased you around Paris. That was the best," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her nose.

"Sometimes days like those would really set my heart free. There was barely a day that I didn't embarrass myself somehow, so an alley-cat chasing after me, trying to get to know the person behind the mask, really made my day. It was also amusing to watch you attempt at being faster than the fastest bug in all of Paris," she cooed.

"Hey, I got really, really close to getting there. You know, to being faster than you?" he laughed. "You've just got it nailed so well, though. Still, the best memories are those where you were so tired after some days and actually laid your head on my shoulder. And we just listened to the evening wind."

"You were always the best pillow out there," she teased. "But really, those nights couldn't be more perfect," she said gently, as she looked over to the flowers with a more genuine smile this time before blushing just a bit so that the edges of her mask grew a darker red. "It felt so nice to have my best friend by my side to protect the lady of his dreams."

He smiled, happily and affectionately wrapping his arms around the lovely bug of his and pressing his forehead against hers. "Now, look at us, bug-a-boo! We could have those nights whenever we wanted," he beamed. "I'd drop everything to go out and relive those nights with you."

"I'm sure you would, Kitty," she smiled, now looking into his deep, green eyes that she adored. "Tell you what, if there aren't any interruptions tomorrow, then how about we do something like that? Just the two of us together, you know?" she muttered, her blush spreading some more as her smile became shyer.

He looked upon her so thoughtfully, taking in the shyness his princess that reminded him that there was Marinette underneath that mask. The odds! He'd live so long chasing after his bug when she used to sit beside him in high school and he never realized it. Now, here she was, and God, she was more beautiful to him than ever. He leaned himself so he could hover in front of her lips, an exclusive Chat Noir smirk on his own. "Sounds like a date to me, milady," he whispered. "I'll eagerly be awaiting it."

She couldn't help the sparkle in her eyes that lit up with excitement. The two had been on some dates before, but Ladybug felt more excitement at the idea at this moment, "Its a date then," she whispered back to him as she leaned in to kiss him, throwing away any worry about someone spotting them that might have been left.

Chat met her lips with his and held the kiss, gently but deeply, for a few moments. He brought his hand up and laid it upon the cheek of his bug, smiling into their act. He even felt a tear of pure joy melt down the side of his face.

This was what he needed all along.

He needed a friend; a companion; and a love of his life. And here was the person before him who encompassed all three of those roles so masterfully. In the madness and toil of what went on around them, both Ladybug and Marinette were the constant; the solid foundation of which he could place his life against. And he did so with as much eagerness and trust as he could. He did everything in his power to make her feel like a goddess because, in his world, she was his goddess. Another tear trailed down the other side of his face.

Her hand met his cheek, feeling the wetness that had trickled down his face.

Tears?

She realized in an instant that he wasn't sad this time and she dared not to open her eyes for proof, she just knew. Her fingers graced his face, rubbing his cheeks gently. The cat's lips felt soft against hers with a warm and comforting touch. Ladybug felt her heartbeat carefully keeping a steady beat within her chest. Chat would always be able to conduct her heart in a song like this, or any song for the matter. Their love would rage in her heart in the best and most beautiful of ways.

He leaned into it with faint desperation, soaking in the feeling of her being there and how relaxing it was to him. He had to pull back just enough to take in a breath before he planted his lips on hers once more, masking a passion with the deepest care he could display.

Once she decided that it was safe to let her hands travel away from his face, she moved them to his chest. Ladybug sensed that no more tears would fall, so it seemed okay to her. With his little break of his, her head tilted just a bit to where their lips would fit in perfect unison when they were brought together again.

He let his hands go from her cheeks to her waist, wrapping gently around her, before letting the passion between them grow, but not get out of control. He wanted this moment to remain slow and compassionate and gentle.

His comforting actions caused her little smile to increase. She felt relaxed in his arms like this, nothing around them to ruin their loving spark, her favorite candle aflame with a scent of pure love. Her hands led up to the back of his neck, holding onto him as if it were her last time.

"Hey," he whispered to her, his eyes relaxed as he looked at her. "As long as you're by my side, I'm not gonna let anything take me down, bug-a-boo, because that would mean I'd be separated from you and I'm never gonna let that happen."

"I trust you," she breathed. "Fully and honestly. Everything I could ever hope for is right here and I can take a big guess that it's the same for you, so I promise to end this with you. With a future afterward."

"With a future afterward," he repeated softly before pulling back to look at all of her.

A spark lit in his eyes as he thought about those words.

He brought his hand that had his Miraculous adorned on his finger and he beamed with the happiness of his thoughts, "Ladybug," he murmured, glancing around to make sure that there was indeed no-one to see the two of them. He was relieved to know that they were alone.

"I want my Miraculous... to be the promise of our future together, good luck or bad luck regardless," he said, slipping the ring off his finger and letting the transformation return him to being Adrien. His deep-green emerald eyes staring into her sapphire ones.

"Will you marry me?"

Her mind took a moment to process, but soon felt the chill of joy wave over her.

"Yes. Yes, Chaton," she whispered, a few tears trailing down her face as she nodded shakily. She swore her heart was beating faster than an average human's should ever be. Ladybug couldn't help the radiant smile that captured her lips in the best of ways. This was all she had ever hoped for. He was all she could ever hope for.

He smiled ear to ear, even laughing a bit now as he reached for her hand to adorn his Miraculous onto her hand for the moment. Yeah, he knew he couldn't consciously let her keep the Miraculous, but his intention was certain; he did want his Miraculous to be his promise. He took her hand and kissed at it softly, before leaning up to kiss Ladybug on the lips once, so deeply and so passionately that he was afraid he'd become stuck in the kiss with her forever (which, in hindsight, wouldn't be a terrible way to go).

She immediately completed their embrace without hesitation, almost tackling him if she had the strength to move such a strong man. Her focus was on him and him only. She didn't care about the world around them that beautifully complimented their situation or how Plagg was most definitely rolling his eyes at the pair right now or how Tikki let go of Ladybug's transformation by herself to gaze upon the happy couple. No, it was only him. Adrien, Chat, the love of her life.

Plagg indeed was gagging at the love that seemed to pour off the two of them as if it were some think perfume, but admittedly, he was happy to see the two of them like this, even if he'd rather go with Camembert instead of showing it. Adrien couldn't help but chuckle bounds full of happiness after the kiss. Smirking, he pulled away ever so slightly so he could cradle her while bringing up a hand and gently running it through her dark hair.

"Nothing. Nothing will ever take me away from you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he said, before bringing her hand that he had slipped his ring onto up in front of them, "That's my promise."

"Nothing will ever be impossible when I'm here with you," she said softly, bringing his hand that was connected to hers up to her lips. "That's my promise," she whispered, chuckling a bit. Tikki couldn't help but let out a little squeal as she hugged the little kwami that was beside her. The little thing just needed to hug something, anything, to set her overflowing heart at ease.

Adrien smirked. "I'll hold you to that," he chuckled. "Do you think we should tell Alya and Nino when we get back? Man, we're racking up a list of things to break to them, aren't we? Alya's gonna make a movie out of us."

"I think our story is already a movie in itself," she laughed. "And I think Alya would be pleased to hear the news. She's always been quite fond of our relationship,"

"Yeah, but when she puts on her reporting hat and goes digging for details, are we gonna tell her Adrien Agreste proposed to Ladybug with dozens of flowers from the Luxembourg Gardens as witnesses?" he laughed, leaning so he rested his head against hers.

"Possibly, if we ever get the chance to tell her about our superhero selves. That'll surely be a story she will die hearing," she chimed, stepping back just a bit. She blushed a bit at the idea she had but knew it would be sweet to do it anyway. "Stay here! I'll be right back!" the dark-haired girl giggled as she stepped away from the group.

Tikki looked over to Adrien. "What is that girl up to?"

Adrien blinked a few times, before looking at the kwami. "I don't know," he mused. "Did I miss something?"

The black cat kwami appeared now, hovering with his little nubs crossed over each other. "She's probably going in search of something to top Adrien's performance."

"Awh, C'mon Plagg! Love isn't a competition!" the spotted kwami laughed, squeezing Plagg tightly.

Seconds later, Marinette ran back up, taking his hand and pulling him close. "Since I can't put earrings into your ears for tonight, I thought this would be appropriate," she muttered shyly, revealing a blue flower with the stem tied into a little ring as she slipping it onto his finger. She brought his hand up to her lips, giving it a light kiss.

"Freedom," she whispered. "My promise to you is freedom." Marinette hoped for the bluebell color that matched her eyes to give him a sense of freedom and hope. She wanted to be able to give him the impossible. And nothing would stop her from accomplishing that. That was her promise.

Adrien giggled. "Bug-a-boo, you didn't have to go to all that trouble," he murmured, blushing softly. "It's nice; the color is _spot-on_. I love it," he said to her, capturing her lips. "Thank you so much, Mari. I promise that'll we'll get some honest-to-God dates in at some point. You know. Fancy dinners? Maybe some movies... We just gotta find the time..."

"Living a double life as superheroes can be troublesome at times," she sighed softly. "But, it surely has its perks," she mumbled as she kissed him on the cheek, laughing gently. "We should really get back now. It would still help out if we stopped by the Louvre and look around for clues."

"Oh, yeah, that's still something we need to cross off our to-do list, isn't it?" he said. "I bet Alya and Nino are still pretty bored so they might want to go?"

Marinette made a little sound of agreement and turned to the two kwamis, noticing Tikki's over-ecstatic displays of affections towards the black cat. "You two sure seem close," she smirked as she brought the attention to them.

Tikki giggled. "But, Mari! You two were just kissing a bunch!"

"S'all good, Tikki's just been suffocating me with all the happiness she's experienced watching you two... I'm not complaining though," Plagg whispered.

"I'm not saying you were," Marinette mused as her smirk grew a bit. "Anyway, we should head back. Today I'd like to walk," she told the three, sending a warm smile up to Adrien.

"Coming, Marinette!" the little red kwami beamed, flying into the bag as if on command, leaving Plagg to float a moment alone in the air.

Plagg thought for a moment, flying over to Marinette. "Hey, Marinette. Would you mind if... if I were to ride in your bag with Tikki again on the way home?" he wondered.

Adrien couldn't help but giggle. "I guess Camembert can no longer be considered the only love in his life," he whispered, so Tikki wouldn't hear but everyone else could.

Plagg went red before flying over to Adrien and pounding his little cat paws on top of his golden hair. "Hey! Don't insult me like that! What do you know about love anyway! You're both fairy-tale characters!"

Marinette laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Says the literal fairy. Well, since you asked nicely..."She opened her bag so that he could enter.

Plagg flew over, offering a thankful look before flying inside to join the spotted kwami already waiting.

Adrien couldn't contain his amusement. "I'm not the only one stricken to the core. C'mon, let's go," he said, offering his hand to Marinette.

After closing up her bag, she took his hand, a bright smile on her lips. She couldn't contain the cliche happiness that she felt in that moment, and she could care less if it bugged certain downers like Plagg. "Okay," she said simply before heading out of the garden.


	21. Enjoying the Sweeter Moments

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 21**

Adrien walked a special hop in his step that wasn't there beforehand. Perhaps it was that had been taken completely by the cliché happiness he, too, was experiencing.

Marinette thought little of it, her head rested up against his shoulder as they walked as she remembered the times that she had laid her head on his shoulder years ago during patrols. They now started to find people walking on the sidewalks around them, but she didn't mind being close to him in public as a civilian. The two had already come out as a couple to most of their friends and family, so why hide it?

He laughed a little. He was actually out in public with Marinette as a couple. Boy, if the paparazzi got wind of Adrien Agreste in a relationship finally, the world would blow up overnight, probably. He smirked at thought of all those fangirls bawling their eyes out at the thought of Adrien Agreste laying in the arms of another girl. It felt devilish to think that but... well, he didn't mind.

"What?" she chuckled, looking up at the cat to see what was so funny. "What's on your mind, Agreste?" she teased with a little giggled.

"Oh, nothing. Just saw the reality that a lot of fangirls are going to end up going through when they hear about how their daydream supermodel is no longer available," he told her, a bit too proud of the fact. "I mean if one guy with a reporter recognizes me, all bets are off. The world will know."

"I take that you're proud of your fiancé, hm?" she winked. "Mmmm... I honestly wouldn't mind if people knew, but maybe not that marriage thing quite yet. It might sound sketchy for those who don't know us very well."

"Yeah, we'll definitely wait on letting the general public know about that. But yes, I am proud and very grateful for my fiancé," he assured her, smirking as he brought her hand up and kissed it. "Sometimes I forget you were once a fangirl of mine."

"The only reason was that I was too shy to speak to you in person, so stalking you from afar seemed like the best option," she rolled her eyes, smirking at the thought of her past self's posters and magazine clippings. And oh, her schedule. God, that was one of the most embarrassing pieces in her old high school lifestyle.

"Yeah, sorry to have made you so shy around me... I mean, I didn't think that handing you an umbrella would have fixed things so well between us that you'd fall in love with me," he laughed in retrospect. "Boy, fate sure does have a few interesting ways of getting things done. I have a feeling though, when the world finds out about us, we'll both end up getting a lot of death threats, probably. Outrage, galore!" he finished, exploding his hands outward.

"Hm, nothing a big girl like me can't take," she laughed, loving his silly gestures. "Besides, villains threaten us almost every day. How different could it be?"

He took her hand and brought it his lips. "Hey, now that's a level of confidence I can rally behind," he giggled. "Yeah, but the game board is certainly interesting right now, with Hawkmoth having his tail between his legs and all. Do you think he'll ever tell us what's got him in such a rush?"

"I sure hope so. It would be a miracle if he decided to turn in his Miraculous because of all of this. If we get Hawkmoth, we get the third-party, too," she explained, then sighed. "It won't be that easy, though. That's for sure."

"You think he'd up and give us his Miraculous?" he wondered before shaking his head. "No, no, I can't see him consciously doing that at any point. For a guy who feeds off of commanding power or, at the very least, influence, I doubt it," he murmured. "Well, working with us- or should I say, using us and making it seem legitimate is another matter entirely."

"Well, at least we gained some knowledge tonight," she told him, shrugging a bit before she looked up to him. "So, Kitty, what would you like to do tomorrow? Knowing you, I bet you've already got a few ideas in mind," she said slyly as they crossed the street that led to where the college campus was.

"Well, to start out the day, I think it might be good if you show me where everywhere is at the university. I have my list of classes finally. And we can do some recon at the Louvre and other places. We've got to figure out what is Hawkmoth's doing and what is this third-party is doing. There's got to be some way to tell the difference. And... we need to decide if and how we're going to break the news to Alya and Nino. If this third-party has Hawkmoth spooked... we're gonna need an ace in the hole if worse comes to worse. Other than that, I think we're good to go."

"Got it," she confirmed. "Do you think Alya and Nino might have gotten bored and went back to the hotel? Both places are close together, but do you think I should call them just incase?" she asked.

"For all I know, they're both passed out on the bed in the dorm," he chuckled softly. "Go ahead and call 'em."

"Okay!" she beamed, taking his hand and dragging him over to a nice, quiet spot. Marinette leaned against the model as she slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed up Alya. The phone rang for a minute or two until Nino's voice was heard on the other line, informing her that Alya had fallen asleep on top of him in their dorm room. Marinette just laughed and hung up, soon she was dragging Adrien onto campus. "Follow me!" she smirked.

"So... I was right! They crashed on our bed, didn't they?" he chuckled. "I know my friends, huh!"

She laughed. "Exactly!" she said, walking up to an elevator and pushing a button with an arrow pointing up. "I bet you know your bug-a-boo more, though," she winked as her hands chained together behind her back.

"Yeah, that's a subject I could study for all day and all night," he smirked a Chat Noir smirk. "I never really thought Alya to be a hardcore napper, though. She's probably gonna miss her little visit from the world's famous bug," he smirked.

"I don't doubt it a bit," she laughed, walking into the elevator once it opened and pressing the button to the third floor. "I'm sure she'd be pleased to see us, though. I am her favorite under Ladybug," she smirked, crossing her arms.

"She'll handcraft you a golden throne when she finds out that Ladybug is basically her childhood friend," he chuckled. "Have you dropped by as Ladybug for her yet to do that interview you promised her?"

"Mmhmm!" she nodded, taking his hand and pulling him into the elevator before it closed. "It should be on her blog by now."

"Ooh, I'm curious to see how many really, really personal questions she tried to get past you in that _Alya, investigator extraordinaire!_ fashion of hers," he laughed as he wrapped a gentle arm around her as he waited for the elevator to reach the top.

"You were definitely a topic she wanted to know more about. Things like our relationship status were brought up. I told her that I'd like to keep more professional," she looked up at him with a wink.

"Yeah, professional," he said, smirking at her. "I can do professional. You know, I just keep getting more and more excited to drop the news to Alya and see her reaction."

"Awh, what an excited kitten you are," she teased as she graced her lips against his cheek in a little kiss. "I'm excited, too."

The elevator door opened and he slipped out, glancing either way before taking her hand and heading down the hallway to the dorm room with her.

She held onto his hand gently, loving the warm touch. When the two arrived at the dorm room, Marinette knocked on the door with a giggle. Seconds later, Nino answered. "Hey, you two! Where have you been? Did you travel the world and back?"

Adrien smirked. "Well, I mean, I guess you could say that," he laughed before glancing in. "Nah, Mari found me. She makes everything better. Did you know that?"

"Of course I know. You tell me almost every day, dude," he rolled his eyes as a blushing Marinette let out a nervous chuckled.

"How's your sleeping Alya in there?" Adrien wondered, trying to peer past her. "She's been out very long?"

"Not too long, fell asleep as she was telling me about all her theories from her interview she was gifted not too long ago."

"You're a real trooper, Nino, diligently listening to her."

"Hey, well, if it keeps her happy," he laughed, walking back into the dorm to sit next to his sleeping girlfriend once again. Marinette giggled as she peered into the room to catch her sleeping friend.

Adrien crossed his arms, standing just inside the door. "How many theories could she come up with to talk your ear off?"

"Wait, I have ears?" Nino asked before laughing. Marinette found her way over to Alya, sitting beside Nino and shaking her slightly. "Alya... its time to get up."

A groan came from the blogger. "Mari... Wake me up when I'm dead, 'kay?"

Adrien laughed. "Tell her something crazy that only she'd be excited for," he said to Mari softly. "I don't think I've often seen Alya asleep like this. It's certainly an experience seeing someone has energetic as her so groggy."

Marinette shrugged and leaned over to the girl, whispering something into her ear. "You're getting what?!" Alya yelled as she shot up from the bed.

Nino burst into laughter. "Geez, Mari, what crazy thing did you tell her?"

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Well, you did really good with whatever it was. Now she's awake!"

"Wait? It was a joke?" Alya groaned. "Mari! Marriage isn't the best thing to joke about!"

Marinette went red, looking over to Adrien and offering an awkward, innocent smile.

"Oh, you told her. I guess that pretty much let the cat out of the bag, huh?" he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "It's... not April Fool's Day, so... It's not a joke..."

Alya blinked a few times before tackling Marinette with a squeal. "Congratulations, girl!"

Nino eyed the two, then asked. "Um, some context please?"

Adrien went over to the bed, crossing his arms. "Ah... Mari and I are kind of officially engaged now," he smiled, raising his hand to show off the neatly-tied, bluebell flower that was wrapped around his finger.

"Woah! Really? God, I knew you two were in love, but wow!" Nino laughed.

"Yeah, we are... and there's a lot going on... so... we didn't want what was important to get away from us, you know? But, yeah... It's a thing. We're the ultimate couple now," he smirked, trying to play off of some of his model charm.

"I can tell someone's excited," Alya smirked at the blushing girl.

"I'm guessing you'd be pleased if I requested for you to be my bridesmaid?" Marinette asked as Alya replied with another squeal.

Adrien playfully put his arm around his best bud. "And guess who gets the esteemed privilege of being my best man? Depending on how the reception goes, you might also get to play DJ, too... but we'll see."

"I'd be honored," Nino chuckled with a nod.

Adrien glanced over at Marinette, smiling at her before tilting his head and wondering. "There are so many other things we could tell you guys but you'd probably explode from it all," he chuckled in retrospect. "So I'll spare you from it now."

"Wait..." Alya paused for a moment. "Is Mari pregnant, too?" she squeaked.

Marinette's face burned. "N-No!" she protested. "I have protection for that..." she muttered under her breath.

"Oh! No, No! I haven't... no... Alya, I didn't ask her to marry me because... because of some obligation... and we've discussed things like that a lot lately. This is a pure relationship," he said before blushing. "I would never... never force Mari into something she wouldn't want."

"Good," Alya said, crossing her arms. "Model boy has done his weight today."

"Thank goodness, I've gotten the blessing from the Goddess of accountability," he sighed, wiping his forehead. "You don't know the half of how relieved I am today went the way it did. It's ended well which makes up from all the strife from earlier. I should... probably apologize to you two for... how... how rude I was earlier today."

"Awh, dude, don't worry about it!" Nino beamed, bringing his hand up to mess up Adrien's hair. "I would've been the same way if my day had been that crappy!"

Alya chuckled, nodding in agreemen., "Yeah, I totally get it. Plus, this so makes up for it!"

"Man, a guy couldn't ask for better friends, really. I give all my love to Marinette, but you guys deserve some, too," he said, swinging an arm around his buddy's shoulder. "My life back in high school would have been terrible if it hadn't been Nino's constant eagerness to get me out of the mansion as if it were some kind of jailbreak. Those late-night ice cream runs were the best."

Marinette gasped. "Seriously? You guys didn't invite me? Ice cream is my life's purpose! Under you, of course," she mused, winking at Adrien.

"Smooth, Mari," Nino laughed as Marinette's face grew red at the realization that they were still present.

"Well, I thought about it a couple of times but I decided against it when I thought about how it would go if I ever uttered the words with me in front of you," he chuckled. "So, I left you be..."

"Good choice. She would've swooned too hard," Alya smirked, nudging her friend with her elbow.

Marinette groaned. "Alya! Don't bring up my shameful past!" she whined.

"Looking back on it, it just serves to intensify how adorable you really are," Adrien giggled. "Alya has been the trooper to always be there to catch you whenever I would wave at you back then."

Marinette flushed, burying her face into Alya's shoulder. "I'm not that cute!" she said, her voice muffled from the pressure.

"Awh," Alya cooed, stroking the girl's hair. "Sure you aren't, sweetie."

"Well, I've come to learn that there's definitely more to her than Marinette first lets on," Adrien smirked softly. "That's one of the many things I love about her."

"Damn, you two! I feel like I'm watching a sappy movie! Where are the dying puppies?" Nino laughed.

"Dying puppies?" Adrien wondered. "That's heartbreaking indeed!"

"No-one can hold back tears when adorable creatures die," Alya told them before smirking, causing Marinette to groan again. "Good thing there won't be a movie about Mari dying anytime soon."

Adrien might've groaned, too, but given what he knew and all the stuff he's had to think about recently, he went ghostly pale at the thought. They had an entire conversation about what the possibility of either of them falling in combat, and even though they had both made the promise that neither of them would go anywhere, the implications of the third-party there in all of its mysterious danger (and Hawkmoth seemingly so terrified to the point he'd have to step down his aggression against Chat Noir and Ladybug). He was as white as a bed sheet, trying to slink back to hide away and regain his color for the moment. He remained quiet.

"Hey, dude, you okay?" Nino chimed in as he tilted his head a bit. "You seem paler than usual."

Marinette looked up at him, feeling guilt rush over her. She reached over to him, taking his hand as if to say everything's alright.

"Yeah, fine, just... reminded me of a really sad movie I watched once. Not the best memory," he murmured, rubbing the back of his head with his open hand before squeezing hers. He looked over at Mari and offered a thankful smile. "So, uh... it's still not too late if you guys wanna go out somewhere. you know?"

Marinette pulled herself off the bed with the hand she had been holding. "What about the Louvre?" she smiled up to Adrien.

Alya sat up. "Sure! I've missed the classics of Paris after being away for such a long time period."

"Alright, prepare to enjoy some high-quality art, you guys," he smirked, the color returned to his face. "Maybe we can stop somewhere and get dinner afterward, too!"

"Sounds like a plan, ki-A-Adrien," she stuttered out, her face heating up from almost saying his special nickname with their friends around.

Nino caught her mistake without hesitation. "There it is! See! She calls you kitty, dude!"

He giggled, smiling softly. "I don't mind, really. Really, I don't. It's something I've grown used to and I enjoy it because it's my special, little nickname," he glanced between his two friends. He was probably pushing the envelope with using his model charm to cover up the awkwardness and the sheer fact that _Kitty_ was the nickname being used here. He wanted to try and use a nickname he had for her but the issue was that, as Chat, he used them so often that if they graced Alya's ears or even Nino's perhaps, they'd figure it out.

"He sure doesn't look like a cat to me," Alya said, crossing her arms. "He seems like a hamster kinda guy."

Marinette just laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Well, hamsters are pretty cute, but kittens are the best," she giggled.

"I'm not surprised, though. You did make that cat-themed dress. The one with the paw prints all over the skirt," Alya smirked.

Adrien shrugged it off. "Hey, I take the nicknames as they come. As I said, I don't mind being called _Kitty_ if that's what Marinette wants to call me," he chuckled. "Well, we ready to go, you guys?"

"I sure am," Nino chuckled. "Ready to go, Al?" he asked, offering her a hand that she soon took.

"Of course!" she cheered as she leaped off the bed.

"Perfect! Let's go!" Marinette beamed as they all walked out of the little dorm room.


	22. From Paintings to Ink

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 22**

The walk to the Louvre seemed to be a quiet one. It was peaceful because of how still the trees and grass seemed to be along the sidewalk and there were only a few handfuls of people on the streets. Many of them seemed to be groups of friends not unlike their own. When they got to the front of the Louvre, the sun had dropped beyond the horizon considerably, casting a dimmed-fire glaze across the midnight-colored tile they were now walking on. The solid glass triangle that the Louvre was so famous for translated a few beams of the firey-orange into shades of purple, generating an outline of deep shades along the sides and vertices of the structure. Adrien smiled. If he was to be considered rich, he hoped to tell people that he was rich in the beauty that dwelt around him, both in Marinette and in Paris. He wrapped his arm around the waist of his beloved affectionately as they approached.

"Isn't it breathtaking, you guys?"

"Mmm," Marinette nodded, leaning back a bit to take in his affection. The Louvre couldn't be more stunning. Every single glass shard was more likely made by a God than by any mortal. It was a blessing to live in Paris.

"Yes, it is," Nino and Alya both said in unison before looking at each other with a pause and bursting out into laughter.

"Who said you two could have adorable moments," Adrien smirked, actually going on with teasing them. "What a couple!"

"Hey, watch it model boy," Alya teased, sticking her tongue out as she clung to the DJ.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "C'mon, you guys! I will make you love each other!" she smiled confidently.

Adrien chuckled, as he gave his arm around Marinette a squeeze. "I'm just giving her a hard time as she does to me a lot. You know, an eye for an eye, so to speak." Once they entered through the main entrance, Adrien came to a stop, eyes counting the number of pathways that branched from where they stood. "Which wing should we start from first? The ancients or the Renaissance?"

"I'm more of a Renaissance kinda girl," Marinette told him as she gazed up to see his beautiful face.

Nino and Alya both nodded and they all walked in with the agreement they had decided on.

"Classy," Adrien whispered, smirking down at her. "Have we ever been dancing, Mari? I think we'd both have a blast with that," he chuckled at his random thoughts. The inside of the Louvre was extremely well-lit, almost as if they had stepped into the daytime. A few spectators roamed back and forth looking at the different pieces on the walls but down, near the junction, there seemed to be a good number of people crowding around a particular piece.

"I suppose that's the Mona Lisa?" Marinette wondered, peering over across the hall. "And yes, actually. I take a ballet course to help me work on my balance and patience skills. That's another reason why I'm pretty good at ice skating."

"Oh, no wonder. You sure it's not just natural talent?" he wondered before glancing down the length of the corridor at the crowd. "So, they have the Mona Lisa on display? And it's the real Mona Lisa no doubt," he said. "This is the only gallery which holds the Mona Lisa. You can tell just by how many guards are surrounding it."

"I know. This is the hall where Copy Cat stole the Mona Lisa years ago," Marinette noted. "Good thing they hired more guards to get it safe. Not that the oh-so-powerful duo can't retrieve it back if it gets stolen again."

Adrien smirked over at her. "And if anything happens, Alya's undoubtedly going to be the very first one to know about it. I hope no-one tries to do anything to it tonight."

"I doubt anyone would. Or at least, anyone involved with Hawkmoth. He's already been here once, so why come again? I'm sure he wouldn't just come to see the beautiful art displays," she chuckled.

Adrien let his face bend upwards in thought. "Well, we never really figured out what he was here for. I doubt he'd tell us why was here anyway." He glanced around to see his friends on the other side of the hallway. "You remember how we said someone has to be looking desperately for information about the Miraculouses?" he asked, voice softer. "Well, Hawkmoth must have thought or done that same thing because he told us to keep our Miraculouses safe. Hawkmoth has been here once but... what about that third party?"

Her eyes widened. "Woah... I never thought about that. Good job, Kitty," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Since our friends have seemed to have wandered off, how about we go look around for clues?"

"Hey, even this cat has a bright idea spark in his thoughts every once in a while," he chuckled, pointing at himself with his thumb. "Sounds good. Do you remember where we ran into Hawkmoth when he was here? That'd be a great place to start."

"Well, I recall a hole that was dug up from the side of the building that led to one of the hallways," she mumbled in thought. "But I don't remember which one, exactly."

"Well, we might have to do some sneaking to take a look around, but it shouldn't be too hard to slip through the hallways if all the guards are in one place. The only problem is Alya and Nino might come looking for us. It'd be really suspicious for us to just vanish out of nowhere."

"That's true, but even if they do figure us out, we might have to tell them eventually, anyway," she shrugged a bit.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that. Besides, we should tell them we're super-secret spies before we tell them we're superheroes."

"Sounds like a plan, Agent Agreste. Follow me," she winked. giggling as she took his hand while she walked down a hall.

He laughed softly and followed closely to her. The commotion that seemed to come from the main hallway lowered to a soft buzz of noise as silence seemed to take over. Adrien shifted slightly as they walked. "I've read articles that say the hallways underneath the Louvre, like the ones that lead to the vaults that hold the art not on display and all, are almost like labyrinths in themselves. The Curators have specially designed maps they carry with them."

"Interesting," she said simply before turning to him. "Where do you find this stuff anyway?" she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Research papers. My father, so big on fashion as he is, had hired a tutor for a few weeks to help me through all the art history that could be packed in that time frame. Quite a bit of it was on architecture and because the Louvre is so beautiful and local, there was a wealth of information on it. And... well, I got distracted easily by the hundreds of fun facts that are on the internet," he smirked. "Hey, even I procrastinate, too..."

"I'll keep in mind that my perfect fiancé does have some flaws," she smirked devilishly at him. "Geez, I don't think I'll ever get used to saying that, in the best of ways, of course."

He glanced back at her, smiling at her. "I'm glad you feel that way," he said softly, taking her hand in his as they walked. They stopped an intersection and Adrien glanced down each hallway, trying to decide where to go. "Hmm, the hallway ahead of us... the light is flickering..." he murmured.

"Yeah..." she whispered slowly, holding his hand a tad tighter now. "Do you think it's anything suspicious? Or just some broken light that has yet to be fixed?"

He blinked a few times, his lips hugging one side of his face. "Yeah, maybe just that," he murmured. "A broken light, probably. I mean, we're just exploring for right now, right?"

"Mmm," she hummed. "Well, we'll figure it out sooner or later if not now."

"Here, let's go down this hallway," he decided suddenly, pulling her along beside him. By now, they were far enough detached from the main hallway that there was virtually no noise reaching them. Adrien was startled to hear the echo of what seemed to be footprints, though they seemed to be farther off, coming up from another intersection. "Uh-oh," he whispered. "We've got incoming."

She sent him a nod before grabbing him by the hand and pulling him over to a wall where they would be able to peer over and spot whoever might be coming. "Stay quiet, cat, or I'll sock you," she whispered as she glanced behind the wall, still holding onto his hand.

With the distance closing into them, the pattering of feet lead to a distinct sound of three sets, a few hushed voices seemed to blend in with the noise but revealed that all three of them were males. Adrien swallowed, forgoing to make a comment on her tiny threat. When the trio of strangers made it to the intersection, their clothing had to be a red flag. A woman dressed in the attendance garments of the gallery followed by two men in trench coats, one beige, and the other a dark grey respectively. "The power box is down this hallway," the attendant said quickly, as she glanced around the intersection.

Marinette paused for a moment as she stared at the strange sight, then pulled out her phone. She brought up the camera option and pressed the record button. Her eyes narrowed. "Powerbox? Like the electric power box?"

Wordlessly, the two men followed behind the attendant before they came to a cutout in the wall, the two men glanced either way before one of them stared down the attendant. "Open the box."

The attendant did so quickly, swallowing and pulling away from the box. The two men surveyed the box for several moments before one of the ran his hand along a particular lever. "This will do; give the call-sign," he said to his partner who pulled out a walkie-talkie.

Adrien frowned. "Mari, I think..."

She turned the phone off as she turned to him. "I'm going to transform, okay?" she told him before opening her bag to let the two kwamis fly out.

"I think they're gonna make the place go dark," he whispered, pulling out his own phone. "That's why they wanted to get to the power box!"

"Still, we need to stop them from whatever they're doing. They could end up stealing something priceless like the Mona Lisa. And I'd rather not go through chasing down another Chat again," she said. "Well, Tikki. Spots on!" she whispered as a flash of red light revealed the spotted heroine.

"Hey, just remember that this cat has the power to see in the dark," he smirked before waving Plagg over. "Plagg! Claws out!" he cheered as the little kwami swirled around him and eventually adorned him with his signature black-leather suit, smirking widely. "Alright, we've got to get these guys and figure out what's going on before they start whatever's gonna go down. If the lights go down, the clock will start ticking and we'll be a disadvantage."

"Then let's not waste time," she winked. "You take care of the men and I'll take care of the lights-out situation," she told him, giving the button on her yo-yo a quick press before it transformed into her special disk.

"Sounds like a plan. You should wrap back around and make sure these thieves aren't trying to run off with the Mona Lisa or any other pieces. They've done a good job so far, sneaking in. Much better than Hawkmoth's explosive entrance. We're dealing with some serious threats here. And, uh, try not to let too many civilian eyes see you if it can be helped. I don't think they'd believe that Ladybug spends her free time staring at art in costume," he said, raising his baton and transforming it into it's dart-rifle, smirking. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna get some target practice in."

"I look forward to it, _Mister Noir_ ," she said, tapping his bell to give it a little jingle. Ladybug turned to the scene, readying her disk to aim at the hand that was gracing over the lever. A pause, if she didn't hit her target just right, then she could actually help the man turn off the power. She shook her head, aiming for his wrist would be the best option, she thought. With a quick flick of her wrist, she released the disk which went flying towards to man, colliding with his wrist for a moment before it returned to Ladybug's fingertips.

The reaction that was earned was a volley of angered and surprised shouts as the two men coiled around each to find the culprit. One of them raised a silenced handgun while the other, whose wrist was wounded by the disk, took cover behind him, "Abort! Abort! We've got-" the man's speech came to a screeching halt when a dart flew through the air and pierced the walkie-talkie, rendering it useless.

Chat smirked.

"Shit, come on! Get that power down!" the guy with the gun screamed, aiming down the dark hallway. His stance betrayed that, although he knew the heroes were down the hallway, he didn't know where. He started firing blindly into the darkness while the other went for the box again, but he'd lost which lever it was. The attendant had long slipped away with the commotion and the criminals didn't seem to notice.

With a press of a button and another flick, Ladybug flung her yo-yo across the hall until it latched onto the gun, bringing it into Ladybug's possession. She smashed it to the ground as if there was an Akuma inside. "Change of plans. You find the attendant and I'll take care of these fools," she said behind her shoulder, reeling her chord back and throwing it around one of the men, pulling them away from the box.

Chat nodded. "Gotcha, bug, we don't need any unnecessary panic on our hands."

He slipped by her and dashed along the hallway before making a sharp turn. The two men were entirely hers to deal with now.

The one who had the gun smirked. "Ah, we're gonna get to go head to head with Paris' finest, huh?"

Leaning down, he touched his boots and straightened himself out before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a set of brass knuckles. "I was told about you. Ready to dance?"

"Ah, I do take ballet," Ladybug mused, moving into a stance ready for combat. "But I won't be doing much dancing tonight," she continued, sliding across the slick floor, latching the yo-yo to his legs in the process in hopes of making him fall over. Once he did, she rose up from the ground and walking over to the criminal, leaning down to strip the brass knuckles from his reach. "I don't suppose you were going to use these on me, right? It's not very polite to use violence against a lady in such a way," she said, smirking devilishly at her victory.

The criminal smirked, his eyes slightly closed from his fall. "Oh, no. These are too harsh for someone like you," he chuckled devilishly. "You won't see what's coming at you."

"What do you mean by that?" Ladybug asked quickly, eyes narrowing towards him. "Explain yourself!"

She would feel the cold steel of a knife press slightly up against the back of her suit, about mid-height. "And I'd be careful just how much force you use," the voice of the man who had been taken down originally whispered. "You stay very still, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be alright by the end of this."

She froze, telling herself to calm down and breath. Her eyes narrowed on the guy beneath her feet."You think you're smart, don't you?" she muttered, turning in a blink as she swiped the knife from his hand, cutting hers in the process. The pain made her cringe from the shocking sting, but at least she wasn't in life-threatening danger. Ladybug brandished the knife towards the criminal who originally wielded it. "Who do you work for?"

"You'd think we'd tell you that so easily? You've got to be joking."

"Well, if you want to play dirty, then," she murmured, pressing the knife against the stomach of the standing criminal. "I'll ask you once more. Who do you work for."

"L-Look, Ladybug, we're doin' a job like we were told," the criminal on the floor began. "Our boss is someone you don't want to mess with. She's more terrifying than you could ever hope to make yourself out to be. Something's gonna happen one way or another and the least you can do is decide what outcome is gonna take place first."

"I asked a question. Who is your boss? I need to know how to find her. I don't care what could happen or will happen, I need to know so I can make it less likely to happen. So, please. Who do you work for?"

"If you want to get to her, you gotta go through her lackey. She's here with us. A really strange girl; kinda glum but she's all colored weird," the criminal said. "The guys say she's an agent of the boss man."

"Where is she? Was that the one Chat went after or..." she trailed off in slight question. Her body relaxed a little more.

"What? No, no, that was just a worker from here to show where the power was," the criminal muttered, sitting up.

"Then where can I find this girl?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, still pressing the knife against the standing criminal ever so gently. "If I don't get the information from you guys, I'll surely get it from the police when you're arrested."

A large rumble could be heard before the place began to shake the place. The criminal standing against the knife started to laugh. "Looks like you might not have to do any searching," he said before the lights went out around her. The shuffling of feet could be heard before the emergency lights, glowing red, went on. Ladybug would find out that she was alone now.

Ladybug's face paled. She was too scared to move.

There stood before her, a character in a red and white striped dress and a purple-painted face. The character had a feminine touch to her as she fumbled nervously with her black gloves adorning her hands. "L-Ladybug, oh, oh no... I've never had to deal with a superhero before..." she murmured. "Are you the one disrupting the plan? Oh, no..." Her face had an exhausted, nervous look on it but her form was directed at Ladybug.

Ladybug shot out from her trance and stood up. "Who are you? Are you with them? Are you their boss?" she muttered, crossing her arms. "You don't seem very dangerous, in my opinion."

She now started to play with a few strands of her strawberry blonde hair. "Huh... everyone says that about me," she murmured sadly. "I guess I should be used to it by now but who cares?" she sighed. "So, uh... I kind of need to know if you're the one trying to stop the plan. I guess you are, seeing how you took down those two footmen."

"Uh, well, yeah?" she said as if it were a question. "Could you give me a little bit of context here? Maybe your name, perhaps?"

She twirled little strands "Mama hasn't given me a name, yet, you see..." she murmured. "Tonight is gonna be the night I earn it. She said that once I did good in tonight's job, I'd get a name! I'm so very excited about it," she smiled before looking at Ladybug. "B-But if you're... here... and trying to stop the plan... well... I won't get a name, then."

"Well, I'm afraid to say, that your mama isn't the nicest of people. Could you tell me where she is maybe? I would, uh... like to have a little chat with her. Tell her about how you should have a name and... stuff..." she finished with a slow nod.

"W-What? N-No, Mama says it's all a part of my t-training. When I get my name, s-she'll give me more responsibilities and teach me more things. T-That's why we're here at the Louvre, so I could get my name..." she said before blinking. "Y-You don't seem like the kind of person she'd want to talk to her, I'm afraid... I'm sorry... but... if you go home... and I get my name, I'll ask if you can come over and visit!"

"I'm afraid that won't happen," she sighed, pulling out her yo-yo and sliding up the top, dialing for Chat.

After a few brief moments, Chat's face appeared on the little screen, darkened by the lack of light. "Hey, milady, how're things? The lights went off but... but I think we've got the grounds covered. All the innocents are off the ground and the police are waiting on the edges for our call. Except... well, they weren't after the Mona Lisa... I'm trying to not get shot by a few of these thugs right now so all the help I can get would be appreciated, bug-a-boo," he winked, his voice a little shaky from all the running he's had to do.

"Sure, I'll be right there, but, uh..." she swallowed, pointing the screen at the girl. "I think we have another problem on our hands, too. This girl is wondering if we are the ones who are trying to stop her mama's plan."

Chat's eyes widened. "A-ah, Ladybug... I'd be really, really careful. The goons I keep running into all rant about when I run into her, I'll be begging for mercy and all that jazz... so, so... Don't let her do anything sly!"

"Uh, well, I'll watch over her I guess, but how am I supposed to catch up with you? I'd rather not babysit right now," she chuckled a bit, aiming the screen back onto her.

"I... uh... I'm not sure, Ladybug. Have you even fought her yet? You two look you'd be more willing to settle things with a staring contest than an actual fight."

"She doesn't seem like she could do much damage as far as take away my dolly," she sighed. "She looks pretty innocent, honestly. I have a feeling that whoever her mama is, is forcing her into all of this for some odd reason."

"Well, I'd tell you to try talking her out of it then but... Oh, uh-oh! Got to go, they've found out my little resting spot!" Chat said over the sound of bullets before the screen went dark.

Ladybug let out another sigh. "Well, I guess I'll let him handle that for a while," she murmured before sitting on the floor. "Hey, do you, uh, like stories?"

She tapped her fingers together. "Y-You have someone with you here?" she asked, almost as if she felt betrayed by the revelation. "I-Is... is he trying to stop the plan, too?"

"Well, the thing is... We are trying to protect the people we love. Our goal is to save the innocent people of Paris from ever feeling fear or worry of losing a life or even their own life. We mean no harm, but we will stop at nothing to make sure Paris is fully protected."

"O-Oh, I don't want to hurt someone... I just want a book from here... Mama says that I have to learn to play with others so that's why these footmen are here... I don't know what they're looking for..." the girl murmured, tilting her head.

"Ah..." she paused. "You know, Chat and I are really good when it comes to playtime," she smiled, trying hard not to think too much about what she'd just said. "L-Like... We could help you get along with other kids like yourself, you know?" she breathed, nodding a bit.

"M-Mama says I'm not ready to make friends on my own, but maybe when I get the book, I'll get to do that finally!" she cheered, glancing around them, her hands pressed against each other.

"Well, what would you like? Say, do you think I'm a bad person? Not by what your mama thinks, but from what you've seen from me?"

"Y-You seem nice but if you're here to stop the plan... stop me from getting the book... well... we couldn't be friends then," she said. "Say, do you want to help me look for it?" she asked.

"I guess I could... But listen," she whispered in a sweet tone, standing up. "Don't ever think that you have to be what your mom wants you to be. You can be and do whatever you want, okay?"

"O-Okay, but... but come on... we gotta find the book so I can go home and get a name!" she cheered, coming back and grabbing her by the hand.

"Alright! Lead the way, Ladybug giggled, taking the girl's hand, following the little girl down the hall.


	23. The Great Book Exchange

**THAT WHICH TIME CANNOT BREAK**

 **Chapter 23**

"Mama said I could find the book in the room next to where they keep the Mona Lisa. She said because they had the Mona Lisa on display tonight, it'd be easier for me to get the book while the footmen do their job," the small girl explained.

"Well, okay. Do you know a lot about the Mona Lisa? It's very special, you know. A few bad people I had to go up against have actually tried to take it! It was horrible," Ladybug murmured, walking toward the room in question.

"I like art. The colors are nice. The footmen say that the pictures are worth a lot because of how lovely they are." They came upon a side room that the girl seemed very interested in. "O-Oh! Do you think the book might be in here?"

Ladybug shrugged. "We can check. I'm up for anything really. My new job is to watch after you, anyway. Just stay close to me, okay? We don't want you getting hurt now."

"Mama says if I ever get hurt and everything goes black, I'll wake up at home!" the little girl said, a wide smile on her face at the thought. She ran into the room and began to look around. "That's why she says I can go places by myself."

"Okay," she mumbled, slightly confused at the comment. "Well, do you see anything that catches your eye?"

"There are a lot of pots, but no book..." the girl said. "Let's try the next room."

"Lead the way," Ladybug said, taking the little girl's hand once more as they walked over to the next room.

"O-Oh, I think this next room might be the one! I know it," the girl cheered, pulling the heroine along.

"Okay! I'm coming!" she laughed gently, walking into the room that the young girl was directing her towards. "What exactly is in here anyway?"

Ladybug finally got the chance to look into the room. Piles of crates littered the majority of the floor space and left little to the imagination. The thought of having to pry open every lid off of the boxes left Ladybug cringing. She stood in the middle of the room, arms folded as she gazed around the room. The little girl had already decided to climb onto one of the tall stacks.

"Ooh! Look, maybe this is the room! There's a vault here! Maybe that's where they keep the Mona Lisa!"

Ladybug couldn't manage to shake the suspicion. "You sure? It seems like you're having a bit of trouble figuring out which room your book is in."

"No! I'm sure it's in here," the little girl asserted. "C'mon! Hurry up!"

Ladybug let herself be pulled along by her arm. Her communicator on her belt began to vibrate. She looked up at the girl, who was paying little interest, before using her free hand to pull her yo-yo off of her belt. She flipped the screen open and saw Chat on the other end. "What is it, Chat? Something wrong? I'm still with the girl right now..."

"Ah, no, I think we're in the clear. A handful of the goons managed to slip by police and are currently being chased. Luckily, nothing was stolen and no-one was hurt. Is that girl with them? They completely abandoned her here."

"Oh... I think so, actually. Should we, uh," she paused for a second to gaze upon the girl. "We should probably try to find her family, whoever they are. She talks about her mother a lot."

"Oh, uh... ask her where her mother is then and we'll work on that," he said, scratching his head. "And where are you guys, by the way? I'll start heading that direction."

"Oh! By the Mona Lisa! Thanks for taking the hard part while I was babysitting, Kitty. I sure do owe you one," she told him with a wink.

"Of course, bug-a-boo," he winked back. "I'll be over there in the time it takes a cat to meow. Just hang tight. Chat Noir out."

The screen went black. As Ladybug looked up, she almost didn't realize that the girl had vanished off into the other room without her, the sound of crates shifting against each other and the pattering of feet echoing against the walls. Ladybug let out a soft sigh, entering the room as she returned the yo-yo to her side. "Find anything in here?" she called out.

The girl started to giggle, not in the immediate sight of Ladybug. "You can't find me!"

"Not this game," she groaned, remembering all the times when Manon had run around her house. "Hey! We're gonna get you home soon! C'mon out!"

"You're a lot of fun! Find me first, then I'll go home!"

Ladybug rolled her shoulders back in defeat, eyes scanning around the length of the room. The longer she stood in one place, the more she felt the dampness of the room. She had to admit, it was pretty creepy that she was searching for a giggling child in an empty museum. Possibly horror film worthy. There were various crates, both open and closed, scattered about the room. A few dusty shelves rose up along the wall. And most noticeably, there was a large pile of books resting in the center of the room.

Ladybug walked over to the books, running her fingers over them. "Are you behind here, Missy?" she giggled, looking behind them.

As she would move to pass it, the pile would shake and shimmy with laughter, a few books falling off the top. It made for a little opening where the girl's amber-brown eyes would shine through at Ladybug. "No! Tee-hee!"

Ladybug put her hands on her waist and laughed, moving some of the books from off the top to the floor. "Did you find the book you were looking for? We should be all set to go now!"

"I did!" she giggled, climbing out of the pile before sliding down the pile of books and onto the floor, giggling as if she had just sledded down a hill covered in snow.

"Would you show me?" Ladybug asked, a bright smile on her face as she leaned down so that she was on the same level as the girl. "I'm curious to know what the special book looks like."

"Mama says it's a book of really, really special characters! They're dressed up a lot like you."

"Oh," she muttered, This was not going to end well. That book belonged to Master Fuu and it would definitely be a bad thing if it was turned over to the hands of evil, "Well, follow me. Chat should be here any second to meet up with us," she said., taking the girl's hand as she made her way to the Mona Lisa.

Chat, indeed, caught up to them not too long afterward, running up to the two of them and showing off a signature smirk even though he was still somewhat winded. "Milady, I've found you finally," he said. "This place is big when there's no-one here. I got lost, actually..."

She smirked, letting the little girl's hand go to cross her arms. "Well, I'm glad you've found your way back home, kitty-cat."

"I'm glad, too, really..." he chuckled. "I was starting to get a little pensive with it being so dark and quiet. Anyway, how's babysitting going for you? Did the little Missy give you any trouble?"

The girl giggled softly. "She called you kitty-cat!"

Chat smirked."Well, I am a cat indeed, see my ears?"

Ladybug gave a gentle pat to the girl's head, looking down at her. "This is Chat Noir. He's my partner in crime. I couldn't do half the things I can now if he hadn't been by my side to point me in the right direction."

"Oh, please. She takes care of a lot more things on her own than she gives herself credit for," he chuckled. "So, how was playing together? Find anything interesting?"

Ladybug hummed, letting her gaze drop before it climbed back up to meet Chat's eyes. "She found the book that she needed to give to her mother. It's a book about people in costumes... like us," she finished, drawing out her words to help him understand what she actually meant.

Chat's eyes lit up in both wonder and confusion. "Oh, really?" Chat exclaimed softly. "You like looking at the pictures?" he wondered.

The girl shook her head. "I'm gonna give it to Mama and it's gonna get me a name!"

Ladybug bit her lip, sighing as she kneeled down in front of the girl. "I'm sorry to say that the book you have does not belong to your mother. It belongs to a friend of mine who takes care of the good citizens of Paris just like we do. If the book gets into the wrong hands, lots of people could get hurt and that's just not something we can let happen," she explained in a soft tone.

"My mama doesn't want to hurt anybody," the little girl quipped. "She wants to play dress-up with people!" The girl smiled, starting to laugh excitedly. "And she wants to dress people up like the characters in this book, but in different colors!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to find another reference to use, then. We just can't risk it. Do you understand?" Ladybug whispered.

"B-But... L-Ladybug, If I don't give the book to Mama, I won't give a name!" the girl pouted, shivering as tears began to well up. "Mama will be very, very upset and she... she might put me in time-out again... I don't want to go to time-out! I want the book!" she said, hugging the said object to her chest with her arms.

"If you bring us to her, we could try to work this out with her. Besides, if you really don't have a name, we could give you one. The prettiest name there could ever be!" Ladybug tried, a nervous smile on her face.

"C-Could you give me a name? W-Would it count? If it doesn't come from Mama... I don't know that it would count," the girl wondered before looking at the heroine. "I could take you to her... but... it might be hard. She doesn't like visitors very much."

"That's okay. I'm sure we could compromise with her," Ladybug nodded, standing up once again. "Also, I'm sure we could give you a name! It's just what people call you, right? Chat calls me a lot of things and I answer to most of them." She turned, crossing her arms with a smirk.

"O-Oh! I want a name! Give me a name! Name! Name!" she cheered, clapping her hands. "I want a name and then I'll take you to Mama."

The heroine paused for a moment. "Well, what about Charlotte? I think it would suit you well. What do you think?" she asked, tilting her head.

The little girl paused for a moment, tapping her chin lightly with her little finger. "Car-let?" she tried to pronounce. " Char-lot? Charlotte?" She said it a few times, the little smile on her face growing with each attempt. "Charlotte!" she cheered. "I like it," she giggled happily.

Ladybug beamed. "Well, okay then, Charlotte, would it be okay if I had a private word with Chat Noir for a quick second? I need to discuss this situation more thoroughly to him."

"Mmhmm, I'll go back in and play with the books!" she cooed. "Buh-bye, Ladybug!" Soon, she vanished back into the room.

Chat Noir crossed his arms and his legs, leaning against his staff. "Ready for children, yet?" he teased her, smirking. "Nah, really though, you sure have a way with children that I don't have."

"I try," she shrugged, leaning on her left leg. "I would love to have kids someday, though. They always bring out the inner softy in me," she smiled, rolling her eyes at the thought. "Anyway, what are we supposed to do about this? Her mom could be a bigger threat than we might expect and if we go in unprepared, things won't be pretty."

"Yeah. We're going in absolutely blind for this one and that's what worries me," he said. "Granted, this is was all severely expected and chaotic, with the attempted robbery of the Louvre and such... not good odds so far for us. Alya and Nino are probably worried sick about us, too," Chat sighed, looking at the doorway to the room that the Charlotte had passed through. "Well, at least she's happy, right? The little girl? Besides, what kind of parent doesn't give their own kid a name?" he wondered. "She's an adorable child, so why use her to do something as terrible as robbing the Louvre?"

"Forcing a child into robbery could be considered child abuse in the great big world of law," she told him, looking over in the same direction as she leaned against Chat lightly. "Maybe we should get the book back somehow and let her return to her mother. Or we could keep her somewhere safe, just in case her mother was to punish her for not returning with what she pleases."

"Ask the girl to stay with us until what?" he wondered. "We can't really take her home with us, can we? What would we tell Nino and Alya? We vanished during a robbery at the Louvre and went home with a little girl whose parent may or may not be violent?" he whispered, before shaking his head. "S-Sorry, that was harsh of me. Dodging bullets all evening does a number on a cat's nerves. We'd have to let her go home at some point. Else she might get antsy from being away from home so long."

"What I meant was, we should let her stay at the police department for a while, but I suppose you're right," Ladybug replied, crossing her arms. "Question is, how are we supposed to get the book from her? Would she really give it up? And if she would... How?"

"Is there something we could exchange with her?"

"Well, we could try to find another book for her to take, or perhaps we could bribe her with a sweet treat? Manon was always a sucker for cookies," she laughed softly.

"Probably the book idea would work best... so she's after another volume of Miraculous wielders, yeah? So we need a suitable replacement for superheroes... wait... that's it!" he exclaimed. "I remember Nathaniel asking about your superhero journal! Y'know, the one filled with all your sketches? Could we pass that off to her and get the Miraculous volume?"

"Of course! It's back at the dorm, so could you cover for me while I go retrieve it? It won't take long, I promise!" she chimed, sending him a wink.

"Yeah, just... be careful, you know?" he told her. "If Alya and Nino catch wind of you being over there, if they aren't stalking the place and going nuts, you might not be able to get back."

"I know, I know, I'll be okay," she said softly, leaning close to plant a peck to his cheek. "I'll see you soon, _mon chaton_ ," she whispered before escaping out an open window with a zip coming from her yo-yo.

Chat's blush brightened as he watched his beloved Ladybug fly off into the Parisian night. " _Au revior, mon chere_ ," he whispered, glancing over towards the child. He sighed, crossing his arms.

After about a good ten minutes, the bug returned from the window with a brown, hardcover book in her hand. She landed by her partner's side and held it out for him to take a look. "I assured the Alya and Nino that we were fine and that they should go home and get some sleep. They bought it, so we're in the clear. Oh, and, by the way, I actually did draw some of those from memories of Volpina and other basic memories from the book."

"Adds to the validity of our little exchange," he told her, wrapping his arm around her. "Way to go, bug-a-boo. The outer cover is even convincing too. We've just got to get the little girl to accept it instead of the Miraculous volume," he said. "Though... if this exchange works, are we... still going to push to go home with Charlotte?"

"Probably not. There isn't much need to worry if she gets home safely. I don't think her mother would be too upset to see the different Miraculous holders, yet it wouldn't give away a lot of information," she told him, shrugging. "Oh, and," she began, taking the book from his hands. "After college, I wanna have a kid," she winked before walking into the next room.

Chat Noir brought a hand up to his cheek to feel that all of the colors had drained away and he let out a little sound of bewilderment before shaking it off and smirking, following after her.

Ladybug proceeded over to Charlotte and knelt down to her level. "Hey, Charlotte, I think this book would please your mom even more!" she told her as she held out her sketchbook.

The girl made a soft noise of interest and wonder at the new book that was being introduced to her and she took it, setting the Miraculous volume in her lap as she paged through Marinette's sketchbook. "Look at all the pretty colors!" she cheered, laughing. "They're all really cool!" she said before looking at her. "You really think Mama would like these, too?" she wondered. "They're so many of them!"

"Oh, well, I was actually hoping you could bring this one to her instead. My friend really needs the original one back, but this one is all yours to take! Plus, you'll be saving a lot of people, Charlotte!" she tried, taking a seat beside her and giving her a slight nudge with her elbow.

"O-Okay," Charlotte murmured before looking at her and smiling widely. "I'll take this one! Will... you keep this one safe if Mama wants it back?" she tilted her head.

"Of course I will," she smiled brightly, gently taking the book from her lap and holding it close. "You don't have a thing to worry about! Now," she said a bit more confidently as she stood up. "You should be getting back to your mother, young lady."

Charlotte chuckled a little bit before standing up beside her. "Thank you, Ladybug! "I can get home by myself!" she said before hugging her.

Chat Noir smiled. God, that sort of feeling must be absolutely surreal. To be hugged by a child. Hell, for him, a hug from anyone was incredible. And Marinette's way with children shined so brightly tonight and he said a prayer of thanks that he found someone who could handle children so well like that.

"Okay, my little bug," the heroine smiled softly as her arms wrapped around the girl in a short hug. "I'll be flying around Paris if you ever need saving, okay? We both will be."

"Okay!" she cooed before pulling away from the hug and adorning her new sketchbook of heroes and skipping off.

Chat Noir shook his head, leaning his baton against his shoulder. "We so need to have kids when we're older. I don't know how you do it, bug-a-boo, but it's nothing sort of amazing."

"I'll plan on it," she told him, pulling her weapon from her side and twirling it. "I suppose you're ready to end the day now, kitty-cat?" she wondered, tilting her head a bit.

"Yeah, I think we've both earned a good night's rest from all the madness of today, huh?" he murmured. "It's been one heck of a ride, hasn't it? you know, with just what's happened between the two of us, especially."

"I know," she smiled warmly, wrapping her around his middle. " _Bien joué_ , Kitty. We did good today."

"Definitely better than one could hope for. And we even came out completely unscathed! I couldn't ask for more. I'm excited to see what Master Fuu will say when we tell him we've stumbled across another volume of Miraculous wielders!" he cheered, nestling his head against her shoulder, "Let's get home, bug-a-boo, before I fall asleep in your arms standing up," he chuckled before yawning.

"I couldn't agree more, Kitty," she smiled, letting him free. "Home sounds so great right now," she mumbled as she zipped out the same window she had shortly before.

It took Chat a moment, but he soon fell in behind her, keeping her in his sights all the way to the dorm room. He landed on the balcony and wasted no time in transforming back into Adrien.

Plagg stretched out his little arms and legs, and opened up his little kitten mouth as far as could, "You two need to stop working so late! This cat doesn't get enough Camembert to work overtime," he groaned.

Adrien chuckled. "Well, think of this way, Plagg, you might even get to lay near Tikki," he teased, earning a death glare from the kwami.

"I swear... if you ever use this to blackmail me... I won't transform for a week!"


End file.
